


vixx fic archive

by whateverbroski (fruti2flutie)



Category: VIXX
Genre: Alternate Universe - Crystal Gems (Steven Universe), Alternate Universe - Demons, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Drabble Collection, Gen, M/M, content includes but is not limited to:
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-22
Updated: 2020-05-22
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:15:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 22,505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24306535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fruti2flutie/pseuds/whateverbroski
Summary: the entirety of vixx fic that were originally posted on tumblr@whateverbroskireposted onto ao3 for archival purposes (bc i would feel bad if i completely deleted them from existence).  haven't touched them aside from the ol' ctrl+c/ctrl+v, so view with more than a half-decade of discretion.
Relationships: Cha Hakyeon | N/Han Sanghyuk | Hyuk, Cha Hakyeon | N/Kim Wonshik | Ravi, Han Sanghyuk | Hyuk/Jung Taekwoon | Leo, Han Sanghyuk | Hyuk/Kim Wonshik | Ravi, Han Sanghyuk | Hyuk/Lee Jaehwan | Ken, Jung Taekwoon | Leo/Lee Hongbin, Kim Wonshik | Ravi/Lee Hongbin, Lee Hongbin/Lee Jaehwan | Ken
Kudos: 20





	1. after-night thoughts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sanghyuk and his meaning in vixx.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> posted: 02/13/2014

Sanghyuk thinks about it more than he should — the fact that without him VIXX would be the same, if not better.

It’s hard not to. In almost all their music videos, there are only a few shots of him. In almost all their interviews, Sanghyuk isn’t even considered  _ there. _ Sanghyuk just isn’t noticeable. Honestly, he doesn’t even know how people recognize that he’s an “idol” while he’s walking down the street. He barely believes it, how could anyone else?

It’s almost as if he’s a background character in VIXX’s story.

Hakyeon is the perfect leader, in almost every sense. He has the charming voice, the caring attitude, those pseudo-annoyed faces, and a memorable quality to himself that makes him hard to forget. Yeah, his dark skin is the butt of all of the members’ jokes, but it’s a part of Hakyeon, and essentially, part of  _ N _ . The fans get caught on  _ N _ and take him in like drugs.

The member that Sanghyuk is the complete opposite of is Jaehwan. He is the life of VIXX; no one can compete. Full of talents and appeal, the vocalist is the ideal idol. Watching him act the way he does is amusing, but Sanghyuk can’t help but feel envious. Stupidity is something that is often related with Jaehwan’s name,  _ Ken _ , but it’s really ingenious.

Now, Wonshik is peculiar. He’s hypnotizing. The way he moves, the way he talks — it’s all so alluring. His rapping isn’t the greatest, but what he lacks he makes up for in energy. And because of that, Wonshik becomes  _ Ravi _ on stage and rules the microphone. (His snoring is no joke, too.)

There’s something about Taekwoon. He doesn’t smile. He doesn’t talk. He doesn’t laugh. He doesn’t do anything to make people like him. Every day, he acts like he hates everything, even though he cares so much on the inside. His voice —  _ his voice _ . It’s enough. It’s enough to make everyone okay with the way he is. And when Taekwoon  _ does _ smile, or talk, or smile, it’s so easy to fall in love with that.

The only person Sanghyuk could actually put onto the same level as himself is Hongbin. They both have equal amount of parts in the group as vocalists, though Hongbin a bit more than Sanghyuk. But Hongbin is the perfect gentleman, extremely handsome and kind. His smile is enough to make a person faint. People would get hooked onto VIXX for Hongbin, and would stay for the rest.

Sanghyuk will lay awake in the middle of the night, thinking about himself and his part in VIXX. He’ll toss and turn, quietly, careful not to bother a sleeping Wonshik. (Although that’s probably impossible.) Sometimes Sanghyuk will pull out his iPad and watch their performances, monitoring his moves and figuring out ways to improve himself in his head. He’ll fall asleep to Music Core or Inkigayo or Music Bank, head pillowed by the screen.

And then in the morning, Sanghyuk will see one of the members’ faces — usually it’s Hongbin, gently shaking his body, or Jaehwan, hitting him playfully. He’ll get up and wash, waiting for food to be cooked. Taekwoon would be doing it, now and then with the help of the manager. The smell of it all would make Sanghyuk quiver.

“What’s to eat?” he will ask, peeking behind Hongbin’s shoulder.

Then Taekwoon would reply, with a quiet voice, “Breakfast.”

Sanghyuk will complain about the vague answer.

“Go wake up Wonshik, maknae,” Hakyeon would command, patting Sanghyuk on the bum.

The maknae would scurry away, back to his room, collapsing his body on the rapper. “Hyung,” he’ll drawl. “It’s time get up!”

Wonshik would push his face away, grumbling, before turning to the other side. “Five more minutes.”

Sanghyuk will pout, maybe scrunch up his nose. He’ll return to the living room, where the table is set up with the rice cooker set in the center. The rest of the members could be lounging on the couch or sitting at the table, waiting for the others. Sanghyuk would join them, with his iPad under his arm, smiling.

Han Sanghyuk might not be a big part of VIXX — that part might not even be extraordinary — but being here with the members, each of them trying to get a touch at their dreams, is enough for him.

He is  _ Hyuk, _ and he’s one-sixth of VIXX.


	2. a little love (leo/hyuk)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sanghyuk has a crush.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> posted: 02/19/2014

Sanghyuk doesn’t know what love feels like. There are millions of songs out there that explain what love is, but it doesn’t give Sanghyuk any indication on how it makes  _ him _ feel. So when he falls in love, he doesn’t really know.

Everyone else seems to know the feeling, though. A majority of VIXX’s songs deal with that whole concept. Hakyeon tells him all the time that love is an interesting sort of thing; it can either be sweet or sour, bitter or salty. Sanghyuk doesn’t get the description at all, thinking he’s describing flavors. Hakyeon says he’ll understand when he’s older.

But Sanghyuk isn’t even that young!

The other members, much to his chagrin, love rubbing the fact that he’s the maknae in his face. It’s the sole reason they baby him so much — pinching his cheeks, making sure he sleeps well, putting the appropriate food on his plate.

_ Babied _ . 

Taekwoon does it the most often, out of all of them. The second oldest is always the one to adjust Sanghyuk’s clothes when they’re crooked, fix his hair when it’s messed up from the wind. It’s always Taekwoon.

Hongbin tries to say to Sanghyuk, as secretly as he can, that it’s because Taekwoon loves cute creatures. The younger boy pretends to choke him in response. Sanghyuk doesn’t particularly like that explanation for the quiet hyung’s actions.

There’s always been something about Taekwoon that Sanghyuk has been curious about. Just the way he acts is enough to pique one’s attention. Taekwoon, although he’s the silent one, has the oddest personality out of all of them. And that’s definitely saying something, since Jaehwan has a pretty… unique character.

However, Taekwoon is different. He shows seriousness and hides smiles. He refuses affection but will always care the most. His eyes sparkle when he sees a small animal or child. He won’t talk in front of the camera, but he’ll belt out all of the given notes and then some. Taekwoon is an extraordinary hyung, Sanghyuk thinks.

Sometimes, when Sanghyuk thinks about Taekwoon, he’s reminded of the whole “what is love” thing going on in his head.

Is love the feeling he gets when Taekwoon ducks his head to conceal a laugh?

Is love the feeling he gets when he has the urge to make Taekwoon join VIXX group hugs?

Is love the feeling he gets when he and Taekwoon share a promise, Taekwoon being overly embarrassed because he doesn’t know how to?

Is love the feeling he gets when he wants to pull Taekwoon from under the table, where he hides when he’s expressively shy?

Is love the feeling he gets when Taekwoon lets Sanghyuk carry him on his back, his crying face hidden in the crook of the maknae’s neck?

Is love the feeling he gets when Taekwoon stares intently at him while Sanghyuk speaks into the microphone?

Maybe.

Sanghyuk decides he doesn’t mind being babied, then, if it means Taekwoon will pay attention to him just a little more than the others. This might not exactly be love; this is probably just a crush on someone he looks up to. But if it is love – real, heart-pounding love – then Sanghyuk will worry about these complicated feelings later, and instead, will focus on the slight curve of his hyung’s lips.


	3. hear me out (leo/hyuk)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> taekwoon doesn’t know what to make of this thing at his desk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> posted: 03/01/2014

There’s a boy in his seat. There’s an unknown boy in his seat, sleeping, with all of his stuff covering the desktop. On a Chemistry book, Taekwoon can see the glistening of drool. Gross.

“Hey,” he says, voice soft. (It’s only always soft.)

The boy snores.  _ Snores _ , on cue. Taekwoon is getting irritated.

“Hey,” he repeats, a little louder, poking the boy’s head with the back of his pencil. “Wake up.” Tapping his finger on the side of the desk he adds, “This is mine.”

The boy shifts to lay his head on his arms, eyes still closed. “I don’t see your name on it,” he grumbles. His voice is scratchy from sleep, and a bit pitched, probably since he’s still going through puberty.

At this angle, Taekwoon can see a slimmer of his name tag. “Sanghyuk?” he tries, aiming to be appear polite. “Please, I have to sit here.”

“Why?” Sanghyuk asks, bored. “It’s after school. You don’t have assigned seats after school.” To prove his point, he gestures to all of the empty chairs with a halfhearted wave.

Taekwoon makes a noise of disagreement. This will  _ always _ be his chair. For the last two years he’s had Mr. Park as a math teacher, and for the last two years the students have been able to choose their own seats. Taekwoon always picks this one, because it’s in the back, away from everyone else. He treats this desk like a second home.

But at this moment, there’s a person invading his school abode, and Taekwoon does not like it one bit.

“What are you doing here?” Taekwoon asks, still standing.

Sanghyuk shrugs his shoulders. “Waiting for Mr. Park to come back.” He wipes his textbook and mouth with his sleeve, which is still gross.

Taekwoon takes a few seconds to think of a reply because, honestly, this is the most he’s spoken the entire day, maybe even week. He’s not used to actually  _ talking _ .

“Are you getting tutored, too?” Taekwoon wonders aloud, genuinely curious.

“No,” Sanghyuk murmurs, “I have straight  _ A _ s. I think I’m good.”

“Then why are you here?” Taekwoon asks. He hopes it doesn’t come out as mean-sounding, because that was totally not was he was going for.

Sanghyuk grunts. “Mr. Park took something from me, so I can’t leave.”

Taekwoon furrows his eyebrows. “Couldn’t you just get it tomorrow?”

“I can’t leave without it,” Sanghyuk explains tiredly.

Assuming that’s the end of the conversation, Taekwoon goes quiet. He stands there, looking at everything that isn’t Sanghyuk. Staring at someone while they sleep is kind of creepy and lots rude, Taekwoon has learned.

“Did you leave?” Sanghyuk mumbles, bringing his head up and opening his eyes.

Taekwoon remains silent, waiting for Sanghyuk to let out a quiet “oh” when he sees that the other is still there. But it doesn’t come. Sanghyuk just blinks, not even bothering to look around. It’s like  _ he _ ’s waiting for Taekwoon to indicate he’s here.

“No,” Taekwoon replies, at a whisper.

Sanghyuk visibly startles, hitting his foot against the leg of the desk. “Wow, you’re really quiet, aren’t you?” He chuckles, showing a boyish smile.

Taekwoon would nod, like he usually would do, but Sanghyuk can’t… Taekwoon responds, “I’m not the best at talking.”

“Neither am I, but it’s the least I can do,” Sanghyuk says. Scratching the side of his neck, he sighs. “Have you noticed, or should I tell you?”

“That you’re,” Taekwoon starts uncertainly.

At that next moment, Mr. Park comes into the classroom. “Sanghyuk!” he calls. “Wow, I thought you would have left by now.”

“You took my cane,” Sanghyuk says, deadpan, an arm outstretched. “Give it back, please. I need to get home.”

“Mr. Park, you took  _ his cane _ ?” Taekwoon asks disbelievingly.

While gathering Sanghyuk’s things together, the teacher shrugs. “He was being disruptive during class.”

“Doing what?”

“I was playing with… my cane,” Sanghyuk explains. Mr. Park hands him his backpack, which he pulls over his shoulder. “I was bored, okay.”

“So you haven’t been lonely, waiting here, have you?” Mr. Park asks, ruffling Sanghyuk’s hair.

“No,” the boy responds honestly, “Taekwoon has been keeping me company.”

“Oh.” Mr. Park looks pleasantly surprised. “Well, I hope you know he’s quite a bit older than you. You’re not using honorifics.”

“Taekwoon hyung,” Sanghyuk mutters.

Said hyung perks up at his name. “Yes?” he says.

“Nothing,” Sanghyuk laughs. “Just wanted to try it out.”

Taekwoon’s face heats up, and he’s a little glad that Sanghyuk can’t see it.

“Sanghyuk, do you need help getting out of the school?” Mr. Park asks, offering a hand.

“I don’t think so,” replies Sanghyuk. “Actually, I think I’m going to ask Taekwoon hyung.”

Taekwoon points to himself, momentarily forgetting Sanghyuk’s blindness. “Me?”

“Yes, you.” Sanghyuk reaches towards him and holds onto his arm. “I want to be your friend, you sound like you need one.”

Taekwoon looks at Mr. Park for help, but the teacher gives him a giddy shrug. “ _ We’ll reschedule _ ,” he mouths. “ _ Sanghyuk’s cute, right _ ?”

It’s not until Sanghyuk and Taekwoon are halfway out of the school, in the middle of a friendly conversation, that Taekwoon has an answer. He nods to himself, brushing the hair from the boy’s eyes.

Sanghyuk scoffs. “Even if hair gets in my eyes, I still can’t see.”

“But I like your eyes,” Taekwoon proclaims.

Sanghyuk, for the first time, is speechless.


	4. a hoodie and a sheep (leo/hyuk)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> taekwoon is a wandering nomad that wants some soup.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> posted: 03/04/2014

Somewhere out there in this crazy mixed up world someone is cooking food. Taekwoon can smell it. Almost.

It's not uncommon for a vampire to get these urges -- the want for actual food. For Taekwoon cravings like this come quite often. It's because he's the kind of bloodsucker that doesn't suck blood all too often. His supernatural body is all messed up on the inside.

Traveling alone is rare for a vampire of his age. (Taekwoon is only 103 years old.) That's why he hides out in the mountains and forests, where human life and vampires are scarce.

The sun is setting, but Taekwoon pulls up his hood, just in case. Now that he notices, he's never been around this area before. The trees are taller, the grass a little greener. More lively -- it scares Taekwoon a little. His stomach growls, which causes him to make an uncomfortable expression.

In another hour, it would be the perfect time to go hunt. Even though Taekwoon knows there's human food cooking in the distance, he'll probably faint before actually finding it. It makes him a little sad. He spots something move in the distance and freezes.

It's a lamb.

If Taekwoon had been another vampire, he wouldn't hesitate to sink his fangs into the pure white animal, draining it of its life. But Taekwoon is a special kind of vampire for a reason. He prefers human food over animal blood for a reason.

It's too cute.

Usually, Taekwoon would ease the small animal into getting close enough for him to pet, but this time is a little different. The lamb eagerly hops towards him, yipping and spinning.

"Hello," he says, crouching down to the creature's level. "My name is Taekwoon. I am going to call you Leo."

That's how Taekwoon ends up forgoing hunting for petting. The lamb's energy doesn't waver, nor does Taekwoon's. The pair plays until the moon is in high in the sky. The vampire feels himself grow more powerful without the sun, but he ends up keeping his hood on -- Leo bites at his hair when it's off.

"Where did you come from?" Taekwoon asks, stroking the lamb's back. A crunch of leaves makes him silence himself, snapping his head in the direction it came from. "Who's there?"

A figure comes out, holding a bundle of forbs. "I'm sorry," he apologizes quickly. "I didn't mean to startle you."

Taekwoon doesn't humor him with a reply. The boy looks young (everyone is young compared to Taekwoon, though). He wears clothes two sizes too big that hang off his shoulders. Noticing his hands, the boy is trembling. Judging by the look of his face, it's enough to tell Taekwoon everything he needs to know.

The kid is absolutely terrified by him. Taekwoon tries not to feel hurt, but it happens anyway, so he walks off to avoid any confrontation.

"Wait!" the boy calls out. Taekwoon stops, curious. "Would you like to come over for supper?"

Supper means food. Food. Taekwoon thinks that his stomach is controlling his body when he nods.

"Ah! I don't live far, follow me!" The boy heads in the other direction, Leo trailing after him. Taekwoon strides forth as well, keeping a safe distance away.

The cottage is decent. Inside, there is enough room for a small family to live. It's furnished with a few chairs and a single table, and also a small bed in the corner. There's a fireplace with a few logs of wood burning, a couple of novels beside it. The kitchen is in a separate room, where the boy disappears to once they enter.

While the boy prepares for dinner, Taekwoon snoops around the place, prodding his finger here and flipping through books there. The lamb is also in the house, laying beside the mantle and easily falling asleep.

After a few minutes, the boy returns with a pot, setting it down onto the table. "It's only a simple soup. I don't have the ingredients to make anything more elaborate." He rummages through the cabinets and finds two bowls and spoons.

Taekwoon is glad that his hood is still on, for it hides his giddy smile. "That's fine," he mumbles.

The boy's face lights up, and Taekwoon is reminded of a young sheep. "I'm glad!" he exclaims. "My name's Han Sanghyuk. It's nice to meet you, traveler."

Taekwoon doesn't know what he's doing. "Taekwoon." He takes a seat at the table and takes a bowl. "I am probably older than you."

Sanghyuk grins, ladling soup into Taekwoon's bowl. "You're my hyung, then. Can I call you that?"

Taekwoon nods, taking a spoonful of soup into his mouth. It's delicious.

Neither of them talks while eating. Taekwoon is thankful that Sanghyuk is polite enough to respect his silence. Once the food is all finished ("You're a bottomless pit!" Sanghyuk blurts, watching the elder down the last of the soup) Taekwoon leaves. He plans on never returning, because that could be dangerous to himself and Sanghyuk both.

But then Sanghyuk opens the window, sticking his head out and yelling, "Please come back soon, Taekwoon hyung!"

Taekwoon continues to walk, head ducked. His smile is broad, but hidden. Although he doesn't give Sanghyuk a response, Taekwoon knows that he'll come back, one day.

\----

One day seems to be tomorrow. Taekwoon's day spot is in a cove near the river, where the light doesn't reach. He rests (because vampires don't actually sleep) until sunset then heads out, hood pulled over his head. Even though he's only been at Sanghyuk's house once, Taekwoon has a good memory of where the path is, and soon enough, he stands right outside of it.

What am I doing, he wonders to himself.

Sanghyuk heads out of the door, Leo trotting behind, and nearly runs into Taekwoon. Sanghyuk, Taekwoon notices, is nearly the same height as him, maybe a bit taller. Once Sanghyuk realizes who it is, he breaks into an ear-to-ear grin.

"You're here!" Sanghyuk announces happily. "I haven't even started cooking yet, would you mind waiting a bit?"

Taekwoon shakes his head. Leo nudges his ankle, urging for a pet to the head. Taekwoon obliges.

"Do you -- Do you want to help?" Sanghyuk asks timidly. Taekwoon stares at him, urging him to explain. "Get ingredients, I mean. It'll be faster with two people."

Taekwoon glances at the horizon, making sure the sun is low enough for him to be out and about in the open. He makes a noise that Sanghyuk assumes is an okay. Sanghyuk leads him to a field filled with dandelions, the yellow and white looking beautiful in the green grass. Taekwoon watches Sanghyuk skip and hum across it, spreading spores into the air.

"Taekwoon hyung?"

The vampire blinks.

"Don't lag behind! You'll get lost!"

Taekwoon is about to say, I've probably been here longer than you've been alive, but then he remembers that Sanghyuk shouldn't know about his whole situation of being undead. Plus, Sanghyuk looks so proud to be leading. It's cute, actually.

"The market is just over there," Sanghyuk announces. "During this time, everything is usually marked for less. Probably 'cause it's the end of the day."

Taekwoon stops. Going down to where people are... That doesn't sound good for him. He's been able to deal with Sanghyuk for a single night, but being in a crowd might set something off in him. Although he rarely drinks the blood of humans, Taekwoon could flip and attack without even knowing.

"Sanghyuk," he calls. The boy turns immediately and tilts his head. "Do we have to go? I don't like..."

"Well, hyung, we have to go to get the food," Sanghyuk says. "You can stay back. I'm fine by myself, really."

Taekwoon takes a moment, and then shakes his head. "No, never mind."

"It's not busy," Sanghyuk assures, falling behind to stand next to Taekwoon. "Everyone is done shopping for the day. I do this all the time, so I know."

The question Why? is on the tip of Taekwoon's tongue, but he doesn't let it slip. It's too early to delve into personal things. Honestly, though, Taekwoon wants to know more than he should. He adjusts his hood so it doesn't catch against the wind, but fails when it flies back anyway.

Sanghyuk's fingers bring the hood back over his head, just at the right spot on his hair. Taekwoon stares at him, confused.

"You looked like you were having trouble," is all Sanghyuk says.

Taekwoon takes a deep breath. "Okay."

\----

Going to the market is fine. Fine for the next day, too. Also fine for the next two months. Taekwoon has declared himself a regular visitor of the Sanghyuk's cottage. Not verbally, because Taekwoon can't every bring himself to admit it. (Much less, admit it to Sanghyuk.)

Today is slightly different from the rest. It's thundering outside, rain pouring from the sky. The two of them watch silently from the window.

"Do you want to stay over?" Sanghyuk asks, still staring at the water droplets collecting on the glass.

Taekwoon whips his head to him and opens his mouth. "What?" he says, with the most emotion he's ever used in front of the boy.

"You can't go back like this," mumbles Sanghyuk. "You'll get sick, and then you'll blame me. And then you won't come visit anymore."

The way Sanghyuk thinks of Taekwoon... Taekwoon doesn't know what to think of Sanghyuk. There's a nagging feeling that he should come out and tell the boy about... him being a vampire. It would lift a weight off his shoulders. Sanghyuk would finally have the unasked questions answered: Why do you leave during the night? How come you like meat over vegetables? Where do you go when I'm not with you?

Those are probably some of the questions.

But Taekwoon can't do that, no. Sanghyuk is too important to lose, and revealing the truth will do only that.

Going against his better judgment (which Taekwoon seems to be doing a lot these days) the elder replies, "Okay."

Sanghyuk is definitely not expecting that. He turns to Taekwoon, eyes wide and mouth agape. "Really? You sure?"

"Are you not going to let me," Taekwoon asks, more as a statement.

"You know, when you talk, you always seem to stump me," Sanghyuk declares. He smiles. "I'll have to find spare blankets and pillows, so hold on."

Taekwoon stares at Sanghyuk's back while he disappears into a room Taekwoon's never been in before. Leo decides that with Sanghyuk gone it's only fitting for Taekwoon to give his fur a rub. Taekwoon, of course, obliges, leaning down to kneel.

Sanghyuk returns, with his arms full, and drops them on the ground. "You're okay with sleeping on the ground, right, hyung?" he asks, dropping onto his bum to sit beside Taekwoon. His hand joins Taekwoon's, rubbing Leo's head.

"Mm." Taekwoon watches Leo roll over onto its back, and something occurs to him. "When did you start calling the sheep Leo?"

Sanghyuk's fingers still. "Uh," he starts, looking away, "I heard you calling him Leo before. Once. Or twice."

"You're lying," Taekwoon says, voice even. He knows for a fact, too. Taekwoon only ever makes small noises at the sheep, never actually calling it his dubbed name aloud.

Sanghyuk starts to pull the string from his sleeves. "What do you mean? Hyung, come on, it's late. We should get to sleep."

"Where did you get him," Taekwoon asks, scooping Leo into his arms.

"Hyung, really, we should go to bed," insists Sanghyuk, who has started to tug on Taekwoon's hood. "Too many questions make me tired."

"Sanghyuk," Taekwoon says, and this is actually the first time he's ever said the younger's name. "I want to know. Because. We... I don't know anything about you."

"I don't know anything about you either," Sanghyuk grumbles.

"You never asked," Taekwoon retorts, with as much attitude as he can.

Sanghyuk looks back into Taekwoon's eyes. He's not crying, but the face he has on is just as saddening. "Would you have answered?"

"I," Taekwoon says. I would, now. I want to, now. I want to talk to you all day, but I don't want to scare you off. I want to tell you about me, I want you to tell me about you. I don't know what's wrong with me, I just. I just. I want you to like me. "Yes."

Sanghyuk looks so conflicted, so confused. "Hyung, how about," he begins, "we do it in the morning. Everything. Talking."

Taekwoon wants to say no, but he knows that he won't. "Okay," he promises.

Sanghyuk goes to his bedroom, leaving Leo and Taekwoon by the fireplace. Taekwoon lays out the blankets, and Leo trots over and cuddles him. Sighing, he closes his eyes and tries to find rest.

Fear is something that Taekwoon knows all too well, and he struggles to find peace that night, knowing he might have ruined something he wants to keep forever.

\----

Stomach growling, Taekwoon rouses to the smell of pancakes.

"Good morning," Sanghyuk says, setting down a plate of fresh pancakes next to him and making himself comfortable on the blanket. "I made breakfast. I hope you like it."

Taekwoon sits up and nods. He starts to eat at the topmost pancake, nibbling on the edge. "Can I ask?" he says, between bites.

Sanghyuk hesitates. "Go for it," he says.

"When did you start calling," Taekwoon pauses to take Leo into his lap, and pokes it with a finger, "this Leo?"

"Um," Sanghyuk mumbles. He turns his head. "The first day we met."

"How did you know to call it that?" Taekwoon asks. Leo decides it the perfect time to skip away, out the door. Taekwoon lets it.

Sanghyuk shakes his head. "Skip."

Taekwoon frowns, but asks another question. "Where did you get Leo?"

Sanghyuk shakes his head again. "Skip."

"You have to give me answers," Taekwoon says, close to a whine. "Please."

"Don't hurt me," Sanghyuk says frantically. "Promise me that."

Taekwoon takes a few seconds to nod slowly. "Are you going to...?"

"Yes," Sanghyuk mumbles. "I'll answer everything, okay?" He takes a deep breath. "I am... a mind reader."

Taekwoon tilts his head in confusion. "Excuse me?"

"My last home exiled me," Sanghyuk goes on. "They called me a witch, a sorcerer, someone that would curse the town. I didn't ask to be like this, you know. I don't want to be."

Taekwoon tries to stop him from going on, seeing that the boy is near tears. "Sanghyuk--"

"I tried to go to a different town, live another life as a simple sheep herder, but someone found me. A man, who persecuted me at my hometown. He ratted me out to the actual sheep owner, and I was chased out again. But I took a lamb with me, because I... needed company."

"But you didn't name it?" Taekwoon has to ask. 

"No, I didn't want to get... attached. What if it decided that I was cursed, too, and leave me overnight?" Sanghyuk whispers. "I would be all alone."

"I'm here now," Taekwoon says. He takes Sanghyuk's hand in his and manages a small smile. "I'll always be here."

Sanghyuk swallows and bites back a sob. "I'm so scared of you, hyung."

"What?" Taekwoon blubbers. "I don't understand."

"I can read minds," Sanghyuk emphasizes. "It's so hard not to read yours, when you're the only other person here." He breathes. "I know what you are, hyung. I just--"

"I won't hurt you," Taekwoon swears. "I already promised."

"No, it's not that." Sanghyuk wipes his eyes with a hand. "You have all of these things running through your mind, and the thing that sticks out most is the question of why you're still here."

"I'm not going to leave," says Taekwoon. "Unless you want me to."

"Stay, stay, stay," Sanghyuk practically begs, falling into Taekwoon's arms. "I don't care what you are, hyung, I want you to stay."

Taekwoon face starts to heat up, and for the first time in a long while, his fangs start to come out. "Sanghyuk," he gasps. "Get off."

"Don't go," Sanghyuk sighs. 

"No, you don't understand," Taekwoon chokes out. Sanghyuk, all of a sudden, smells delicious. 

Sanghyuk seems to get the message. "I am so sorry," he mumbles. He removes himself from Taekwoon's lap and straightens. "Your thoughts are really loud."

Taekwoon swallows and tries not to conjure up any weird images. Sadly, that doesn't really work out for him.

"Are you... Are you thinking of claiming me?" Sanghyuk gasps. "Taekwoon hyung! Are you out of your mind?" 

"Ignore these thoughts," murmurs Taekwoon. 

Sanghyuk mischievously grins, with tear tracks still on his face, and snuggles up to Taekwoon. "Hyung," he calls. Taekwoon turns his head, and Sanghyuk takes that opportunity to steal a single kiss from the vampire's lips. "I don't think I would mind." 

Taekwoon blinks. "You're going to regret it," he whispers, staring at Sanghyuk's lips, then neck. 

Sanghyuk chuckles. He lays on his back, making Taekwoon settle between his legs. "No, I don't think I will."

\----

"I lied, I regret it so much," Sanghyuk gasps, tears in his eyes once again. He clutches at the back of Taekwoon's hoodie. "I didn't realize it would hurt so much."

Taekwoon licks a stripe up Sanghyuk's neck, healing the two bite marks there. "Mm." Once the wounds have healed all the way, Taekwoon plants a kiss on the pained area. 

"Are you hungry?" Sanghyuk asks, exhausted. 

"I just had a lovely meal," Taekwoon tells him, "but I'm actually in the mood for some soup."

Sanghyuk, somehow, still has the strength to pull the hood over Taekwoon's head.


	5. hyung, not noona (n/hyuk)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “what is n to hyuk?”  
> “he’s like an annoying girlfriend”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> posted: 03/15/2014

Hakyeon confronts Sanghyuk about it in the middle of the night. Silently entering the other shared bedroom, he crawls under the maknae’s blanket, pillowing his head on Sanghyuk’s chest. 

“Is that really what you think of me?” the elder grumbles.

When Sanghyuk doesn’t respond, Hakyeon pokes the younger on the cheek. Sanghyuk continues to snore, mouth slightly open. It takes a few more pokes for him to let out a whine, blearily opening his eyes.

“What are you talking about, hyung?” Sanghyuk murmurs.

“What you said earlier,” mutters Hakyeon, “about me.”

Sanghyuk blinks, processing the information, and then asks, “How you’re like an annoying girlfriend?” Hakyeon sneers, but realizing that Sanghyuk can’t see it, nods. “Ah, hyung.”

“Don’t ‘ah, hyung’ me!” Hakyeon barks. Sanghyuk tries to shush him, to no avail, and Hakyeon goes on. “If  _ I’m _ an annoying girlfriend, then  _ you’re _ an insensitive boyfriend.”

Sanghyuk has the audacity to chuckle. “I said you’re  _ like _ an annoying girlfriend, hyung, not that you’re  _ actually _ one.” He glances over to the other side of the room. “Lower down your voice. Wonshik hyung might wake up.”

“He won’t, he’s basically dead,” Hakyeon deadpans. “And what’s the difference, huh? You still called me annoying.”

“If you were an annoying girlfriend, then I would have broken up with you by now,” Sanghyuk sighs, exhausted. “But I like you too much to do that.”

Hakyeon huffs, but surrenders his argument. Now that that’s settled, he should get up and go back to his room. Sadly, he realizes that Sanghyuk’s body is quite comfortable, which is a bit of a problem.

“I’m going to sleep here,” he proclaims firmly, slinking his arms around the maknae’s waist. “Don’t squish me.”

(When Hakyeon’s breathing is steady and soft, nearly half an hour later, Sanghyuk plants a kiss on the top of his head. He whispers, in the darkness, “You’re a clingy girlfriend, too.”)


	6. drizzle-drabble (leo/hyuk)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> it’s raining, and they only have one umbrella.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> posted: 03/27/2014

It’d probably be a good idea to start watching the weather channel, Taekwoon thinks. Actually, that would have been a good thing to realize about an hour ago.

“Hyung,” Sanghyuk calls. “We have to get to the library! Stop staring out the window like that! You look like you’re trying to explode it with your mind!”

“There’s rain,” Taekwoon announces, glancing back at the younger boy.

Sanghyuk has no jacket on (even though Taekwoon insists he wear one since it’s still chilly outside). The school uniform is starting to get outgrown by Sanghyuk, Taekwoon notices, where the pants rise just above his ankles. Sanghyuk holds out Taekwoon’s bag and coat, waving them around for the older to grab them.

Taekwoon takes his things, shrugging them on with swift motions. “There’s rain,” he repeats, more firmly.

“I have an umbrella,” Sanghyuk quips, patting his bag.

Humming, Taekwoon shakes his head and takes another look out the window. “One isn’t enough,” he says.

“We can squeeze,” Sanghyuk suggests impatiently. He heads out of the building, motioning for Taekwoon to follow. “Come on, hyung! If we don’t hurry up, they might not let us in!”

Taekwoon sighs. Dragging his feet, he walks to where Sanghyuk stands, waiting, holding the closed umbrella in his hands. “If I get wet, I’m going to kick you.”

Sanghyuk smiles at the empty threat. After opening the umbrella, he and Taekwoon duck under it, fitting themselves so that they both are shielded from the rain. Sanghyuk holds the umbrella a bit too high, causing Taekwoon’s side to get rained on. The older grasps Sanghyuk’s wrist to bring it down a couple centimeters.

“Too tall,” is all he whispers, but Sanghyuk laughs at him anyway.


	7. coffee over a (past) heartache (ken/hongbin)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> maybe jaehwan isn’t as well as he thought he was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> posted: 04/08/2014

Jaehwan is known for his terrible ideas. This might be one of his best – or worst, depending on how you look at it.

He’s going to meet with Hongbin. (And it’s not going to be weird.)

Jaehwan knows that their breakup had been pretty clean – Taekwoon calls it the Anticlimactic Split. They left on good terms, promising to keep in touch as friends. For the most part, texting and emailing are the only things that are used as communication between them, but it’s better than nothing.

It’s been a while since they’ve actually seen each other. Jaehwan has come to realize that he genuinely misses the other man’s company, so a couple weeks ago, he offered to take Hongbin to a new restaurant, for brunch, to “catch up on things”. Hongbin, being the charmingly sweet guy he is, agreed within a minute.

It’s only 9:05, at the moment. Jaehwan had told Hongbin to meet him here at 9:30, but the former always likes to be early, especially if it’s for Hongbin. Jaehwan will always have a soft spot for Hongbin, whether they’re in a relationship or not.

However, sitting here, alone, waiting for his ex-boyfriend is absolutely nerve-wracking. Why? Jaehwan doesn’t quite know himself. Anxiety is something he’s never been acquainted with.

All of a sudden, Jaehwan feels seventeen again, at Hongbin’s front porch with a bouquet of roses, preparing himself to confess to that one guy in the school’s photography club. He had felt anxious then, terribly so.  _ A simple crush _ , he remembers telling himself,  _ it won’t last long, so why not try? _

(They had gone out for three years.)

At 9:30, on the dot, Hongbin arrives, coming through the front doors. Jaehwan doesn’t even try to suppress his elated grin, eagerly waving the man over and getting him to slide in the seat across from him.

“Early, as per usual,” Hongbin jokes. “I like your hair.”

Jaehwan self-consciously flattens it down with a hand. It’s a dark brown, not short but not too long, showing off his elf ears. During their relationship, he had sported a flamboyant golden hair color, almost always gelling it upwards to show off his proud forehead. It’s odd hearing Hongbin comment on his appearance now.

“It was a punishment,” Jaehwan admits, rubbing the back of his neck. “We made a dare, a few months ago, with the three of us – Hakyeon and Taekwoon hyung and me. Loser had to dye his hair.”

“It’s nice,” Hongbin says. “You look better than me, actually.”

Jaehwan shakes his head. Hongbin doesn’t look the same as before, obviously. He looks older, more tired, but he still has the same handsomeness, the same polite smile. His hair, too, is not a dyed mess, but his own natural black color. The dimples that Jaehwan love(d) so much are still as prominent as ever.

“You always,” Jaehwan says, but stops himself. “Do you want to order something? I’ll be paying, so don’t hold back.”

“Ah, Jaehwan hyung, you’re going to regret that,” Hongbin laughs. Calling the waiter over, he orders one of everything on the menu. The waiter looks a bit shocked but still scampers away, returning shortly to give them their cups of coffee and then disappearing again. 

Jaehwan’s heart swells, seeing the happiness on Hongbin’s face. This is a dangerous reaction, he knows all too well, but he can’t help it. Hongbin is too perfect, too  _ real _ . Jaehwan wants to keep him.

“I got a new job, and it pays well,” Jaehwan announces proudly. “I’m the entertainment for Wonshik’s restaurant. Singing, playing the piano, maybe some jokes – all me.”

“Nice!” Hongbin claps. “I’ve got a photography studio downtown. Sanghyuk and I run it for all kinds of things.”

Jaehwan swallows thickly. “Sanghyuk?” It had been too good to be true. Of course. It’s been nearly two years. Hongbin hasn’t just been sitting on hold, waiting for Jaehwan to be ready again. That’s not how it works.

“He’s my cousin,” Hongbin confesses, fiddling with his fingers. “Just my cousin. Fresh out of high school, so he’s really energetic about being on his own.”

Jaehwan shouldn’t be so relieved, but he is. “That’s awesome,” he says, smile wide. “Is he cute?” The question is harmless, but the effect it has on Hongbin has Jaehwan hoping again.

The smile on the younger man’s face falters; the twinkle in Hongbin’s eyes seems to die. “Yeah,” he says, tone dropping.

“I want to set Taekwoon hyung up with someone,” Jaehwan says quickly, trying to keep his voice at a normal pitch. “He’s such a grumpy pants, so maybe someone lively would fix that. Yeah.”

Hongbin nods, rubbing his hands together. “God, why are we so awkward?”

“You’re the awkward one,” Jaehwan accuses, chuckling. “I’m perfectly fine at the moment, thank you very much.”

“No, you’re not.”

Jaehwan stops his laughter, immediately taken aback. “Why do you say that?”

“Whenever you’re worried you laugh out of context,” Hongbin tells him, tracing the rim of his mug with an index finger. “You used to do it, every now and then, back when we were dating.”

Jaehwan wants to cry, knowing that Hongbin remembers something as trivial as that. “Then, I guess I’m really not okay,” he admits, curling his hand on the tabletop. “This seemed so much easier in my head.”

Hongbin hesitantly runs his fingertips along Jaehwan’s palm. “I was thinking the same,” he says. “Actually interacting, face-to-face… it’s odd.”

“It doesn’t have to be,” Jaehwan chirps, glancing at Hongbin. “We can…”

This is the moment that he will either regret or cherish. This is the moment that will mean the world to him, in one way or another. This is  _ the _ moment that matters.

Staring at the way Hongbin’s eyelashes flutter against pale skin and how his teeth worry at his bottom lip, Jaehwan blurts:

“Can we try again?”


	8. we… are v-i-x-x

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sanghyuk is a crystal gem. or at least half. (steven universe au)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> posted: 03/25/2014

Sanghyuk is bored. All of the Gems are out on a mission, somewhere in another dimension or something, leaving him all alone in the house. Being all alone in the house, Sanghyuk discovers, is  _ boring _ .

On another day, maybe a week before today, Sanghyuk would be outside on the beach, searching for quarters, or hanging out with Wonshik, one of his best friends, from the fry shop.

But today, he’s grounded. Why, you ask? Well, let’s just say Sanghyuk had been playing in Hakyeon’s room, messing with the Gem’s swords collection, and ending up breaking four of them.

(Sanghyuk thought that the tape wouldn’t be noticeable. Then again, there was only duct tape in the house, at the time…)

Hakyeon, of course, was furious. He gave Sanghyuk a long lecture about respecting other people’s property, the importance of responsibility, yada yada. Taekwoon eventually butted in to give Sanghyuk a proper punishment, which ended up being on house-lockdown for three days. Sure, it doesn’t sound too bad, but when your guardians are out doing incredibly awesome things without you, it makes you regret your wrongdoings.

Sanghyuk shuffles across his room to grab his pillow, Leo, and punches it in the face. He imagines it’s a monster, eyes glowing red and teeth bared. This is just pretend, obviously, since Sanghyuk still doesn’t know exactly what his powers are yet. He knows the day will come, in time. Sanghyuk taps the white gem on his stomach, reminding it.

There’s a familiar  _ boom-thump _ from downstairs, alerting Sanghyuk of the Gems’ return. He wants to go see them, but he’s afraid that they’ve come back with something epic and cool and something that Sanghyuk can’t touch because he’s still in trouble.

“Hyukkie!” a voice calls loudly – most likely Jaehwan’s. “Get your skinny butt down here!” Definitely Jaehwan’s.

Sanghyuk travels down the stairs, welcomed by the sight of the other Crystal Gems. And a very huge, very handsome painting, enclosed in a golden frame. It’s a whole picture of a suited man, almost as tall as Sanghyuk, whose face and eyes are blank and mysterious, hands stuffed in his pockets.

“Guess what we brought home!” chirps Jaehwan, throwing an arm around Sanghyuk’s shoulders before heading to the kitchen. The gem on his chest glows a cool gray. “Come on, guess!”

“It’s a boy,” Sanghyuk states happily. The painting seems to smile – maybe a trick of the light.

Hakyeon, who is settling on the couch, tuts his tongue, as if reprimanding the youngest. “Sanghyuk, don’t you see? It’s only a portrait.” The painting frowns at that, and maybe Sanghyuk needs to get his eyes checked.

“Where’d you get him from?” Sanghyuk asks, examining the boy’s suit.

Taekwoon hands the painting off to Sanghyuk, the blue gems on his palms clicking against the frame. “We went to a world that was similar to a museum. They had many of these, just lying around. This one looked nice, so Hakyeon brought it back.”

Hakyeon sputters, his strict reputation offended. His own red gem on his forehead flickers. “ _ I did not _ ! Jaehwan was the one who suggested it!”

From inside the fridge Jaehwan shrieks, “Lies!”

“You’re the one who  _ said _ we could bring it back,” Taekwoon declares quietly at Hakyeon, joining him on the sofa.

Sanghyuk ignores them in favor of studying the painting. It’s too lifelike to only be called a piece of artwork. The way he stands and stares is too human. There’s a sparkle in the boy’s eyes that Sanghyuk sees as childish, real. At the top of the frame, slightly above Sanghyuk’s eye level, there’s an inscription in the gold.

“ _ Lee Hongbin _ ,” reads Sanghyuk, squinting his eyes at the tiny print. 

The painting grins so widely – Sanghyuk knows this isn’t an eye illusion. He panics, accidentally dropping the painting, making it hit the ground and crack the framework. The Gems are immediately on their feet, their weapons summoned.

“Sanghyuk, get back!” Hakyeon commands, pointing his spear at the offending object. “This thing might be cursed!”

“Cool,” Sanghyuk marvels, slowly backing away.

Taekwoon shakes his head at him. “Not cool.” He takes a step towards the painting, holding the gauntlets on his hands out, just in case something happens.

And something  _ does _ happen.

The painting’s mouth opens, revealing perfectly white teeth and a smooth voice. “Are you guys going to slice me up?”

Sanghyuk gasps. “No! Never! What is happening!?”

“You hurt my frame,” the painting declares, staring at Sanghyuk.

It blinks. Sanghyuk blinks. Everyone blinks.

“We have to bring it back!” Hakyeon screeches. “It’s cursed!”

“You’re overreacting,” Jaehwan barks. Even though his whip is out, he’s just twirling it over his head, like a lasso. “It’s just a talking painting.”

“ _ He _ ,” Sanghyuk corrects.

The painting laughs. “Thank you,” he chuckles. “Hongbin, if you will. My official title is  _ Lee Hongbin, the Guy in the Painting _ . My hobbies include standing, talking, and spying.”

“That’s very nice and all, but we can’t keep you,” Hakyeon says. “You’re probably very dangerous, and we can’t risk it. Right? Someone agree with me. Taekwoon?”

The Gem in question materializes his gauntlets away and shrugs. “I think he’s fine. Anyway, Sanghyuk seems to like him.” With that said, he returns to his room, disregarding Hakyeon’s mewl.

Sanghyuk grabs the painting by the edges, careful of the damage on the frame. Hongbin looks wary, arms held out. “Can I hang him in my room?” Sanghyuk asks the other Gems, mouth set in a straight line, trying to appear serious.

“Fix my frame first,” Hongbin tells him, pointing to the broken points of his carrier. “I feel like I’ll fall out, if it’s like this.”

“Okay!” Sanghyuk breaks out into a grin. “Jaehwan hyung! Do we have any glue?” he hollers.

“Glitter glue,” Jaehwan replies, through a mouthful of chips he’s managed to stuff in his mouth during the last minute.

“I’m fine with that,” Hongbin says, shrugging.

“Great!” Sanghyuk grins widely. “Hakyeon hyung, can you get that?”

The Gem huffs, spinning on his heel. He returns shortly with a sparkling bottle, handing it off to Sanghyuk. The boy sets down the painting again, carefully going to work on the frame.

“Just because I’m allowing you to do this doesn’t mean I agree with keeping him here,” Hakyeon declares.

“Nobody asked for your opinion,” Jaehwan sings, throwing chips in the air and trying to catch them in his mouth. A good portion of them lands on the floor.

“Jaehwan! We just cleaned yesterday!” Hakyeon screams, Jaehwan cackles evilly, quickly morphing into a gray dog to outrun the outraged Hakyeon.

“Are they always like this?” Hongbin asks quietly.

“Yeah,” Sanghyuk says. “Oh, I should properly introduce them, shouldn’t I? Well, first off, I’m Sanghyuk. The one that’s screaming, with the red gem – that’s Hakyeon hyung. Jaehwan hyung is the guy he’s chasing. Taekwoon hyung is the slightly intimidating one that went into his room.”

Hongbin chuckles. “You guys look fun.”

“We are!” Sanghyuk exclaims. After he’s finished gluing the frame together securely, its sparkle giving Hongbin a more whimsical image, Sanghyuk pats himself on the back.

“There’s so much stuff to do! Walk on the beach, show you to my friends – Wonshik hyung’s brother loves interesting things like you. Wonshik hyung might be scared of you, though… Ah! I can show you my quarter collection, too!”

Hongbin must have been affected by all of his own paint fumes – he  _ genuinely _ looks excited for all of that. Such a weird piece of art.


	9. keep! jellyfish! city! weird!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sanghyuk brings his newest friend to meet wonshik. (steven universe au)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> posted: 05/18/2014

“Sanghyuk, how many times have I told you? You  _ can’t _ bring your freakish magic stuff here. You’ll scare away customers,” Wonshik grunts. “I take my job here very seriously.”

"Hyung,” Sanghyuk drawls. He holds the painting,  _ Lee Hongbin _ , so it’s facing away from Wonshik. “How do you know it’s something magical, huh?”

It’s hard to look intimidating with ketchup red hair, but Wonshik tries. “There’s that expression on your face, you know. The one where you basically have stars and sparkles in your eyes.”

Sanghyuk glances towards Hongbin, catching the painting muffling a laugh. Hongbin is in his default pose, motionless (more or less), with his hands in his pockets. Until Sanghyuk says the words “tasty marshmallow kitty-cats” Hongbin is to remain like a truly unmoving artwork.

Sanghyuk had told him, prior to leaving the house, that they would surprise his best friend who works at the family-run fry shop. It’s to commemorate one whole week of Hakyeon not throwing Hongbin out on the streets.

“I do not!” Sanghyuk shouts at Wonshik, putting on his best serious face.

“Fine, fine,” Wonshik reluctantly agrees. He puts an arm on the counter, using his hand to fan himself with his wife beater. “So what do you want, Sanghyuk?”

Clearing his throat, Sanghyuk flips the painting around, showing the artwork to his best friend. “Ta-dah!” he exclaims, smiling widely. “To show you this! Look, hyung! Isn’t he handsome?”

Wonshik nods, obviously not sharing the same enthusiasm as the other. “It’s nice,” he comments, shrugging. “Nearly taller than me, so that’s interesting. It’s got a nice face.”

Hongbin seems to get irritated at that. “It’s not ‘it’! I’m a ‘ _ he _ ’, for crying out loud!  _ He _ ! Do I look like some kind of object!?” he snaps, breaking out of his pose and defiantly putting his hands on his hips.

Wonshik screams, jumping half a foot in the air and nearly banging his skull on the ceiling. “SANGHYUK, WHY IS IT TALKING?”

“I’M A  _ HE _ !”

"SANGHYUK!”

“YELLING IS FUN!”

Through all the commotion, Wonshik’s brother comes from the back of the shop, staring at his cell phone’s screen. “Hey, what’s with all the yelling?”

Wonshik shakes an accusatory finger at Sanghyuk, breathing heavily. “MINSEOK HYUNG! HE’S GOT SOMETHING WEIRD!”

“Weird?” The much shorter brother glances up, interest piqued. He takes a look at Hongbin, who has started to angrily pace in his frame. “OH, SANGHYUK, WHAT IS THAT?”

“I. Am. A  _ he _ .” Hongbin practically hisses the words.

"This is Hongbin,” Sanghyuk says. “He’s an artwork.”

“Can I take a picture of him? For my blog?” Minseok asks excitedly.

Hongbin gives the man an unimpressed look. “If you take a picture, you’re not going to see me  _ move  _ or  _ talk _ .”

Blinking slowly, Minseok realizes the error of his request. “Oh… can I take a video, then?” Tentatively, he holds out his phone, pointed at Hongbin.

The painting looks at Sanghyuk, and Sanghyuk looks back and gives a thumbs up. “Wave a peace sign,” he says, hooking an arm around Hongbin’s frame and holding up his two fingers. In the frame, Hongbin does the same.

Minseok presses the record button, the grin refusing to leave his face. “Say, ‘Keep Jellyfish City weird!’”

“Keep Jellyfish City weird!”

Sanghyuk and Hongbin laugh at the lens, making funny faces and gurgling inhumane noises. Hongbin makes sure to express his two-dimensional form, tapping on his picture like a mime. At one point, Sanghyuk nearly drops Hongbin onto the sidewalk.

After about a minute, Minseok ends the video, bouncing with glee. “Thanks!” he squeals, running out of the shop, probably to go and post the video on his blog.

Sanghyuk stares at his red-headed friend still backed against the wall. “Wonshik hyung? Are you still freaked out?”

“Yes, quite. That  _ thing _ is glaring daggers at me.”

"We’ll be going, then!” Sanghyuk announces, before Hongbin attempts to jump out of the painting to tackle Wonshik. Sanghyuk doesn’t know if he can, but he doesn’t want to stay and find out.

Wonshik shuffles forward, wiping his hands on his shirt. “Where to?”

“To Kyungsoo!” exclaims Sanghyuk. “He’ll like Hongbin, right?”

“That kid’s definitely a weirdo. There’s a more than good chance he will,” Wonshik says. “So have fun with, uh,  _ Hongbin. _ Hongbin, the he. Yeah.”

The artwork isn’t particularly happy, but he’s pleased, bidding a farewell to Wonshik. Sanghyuk waves with an arm, the other hauling Hongbin by the glittered frame.

"Who’s Kyungsoo?” asks Hongbin, when they’re halfway to the docks.

“This really cool kid that feeds bread to the seagulls, by the boats. I’ve only heard him talk once, and that was to say his name. He’s cool. Has big eyes. He likes collecting tiny figurines.”

“I know a few statues that need a home,” Hongbin pipes.

Sanghyuk smiles. “You can tell him that yourself. We’re almost there!”


	10. lots of love (leo/hyuk)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> leo is the snow, covering the grass that is taekwoon. sanghyuk is the sun, the only thing that can melt it all away. (kind of sequel to "a little love")

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> posted: 06/02/2014

Taekwoon doesn’t talk much. Everyone knows this. The other VIXX members know how he is, and none of them mind. Maybe Hakyeon, but that’s just because he’s the leader of the group and he wants everyone to participate all the time. The rest of them never push Taekwoon too far.

Actually, it’s  _ Leo _ .

Leo, the stage character that is the main vocal of VIXX, belting out high notes and fiercely gazing into the lens of a camera. That’s Leo.

Taekwoon is a little different. He still may not express his emotions well, but he has love in his heart for all the members of VIXX. He talks, too, mostly with Jaehwan and Hakyeon. They’re all his friends – family, even. There are so many things that Taekwoon wants to say, but he doesn’t know  _ how _ . That’s why he’ll be quiet as Leo, and even quieter as Taekwoon.

Today, a few VIXX members have schedules – Jaehwan, Hakyeon, and Hongbin are attending a late-night radio show. Wonshik is down in the practice studio, writing lyrics, composing songs, or napping. (Possibly all three.) The last two – Sanghyuk and Taekwoon – are at the dorm.

Both of them are in the living room. Taekwoon takes up the entire couch, reading an old book that he found in one of the practice rooms, while Sanghyuk props his back against its edge. From this angle, Taekwoon can see Sanghyuk and his iPad perfectly.

Sanghyuk, to Taekwoon, is a dedicated maknae. Even when they’re given time to rest, like now, he’ll still be re-watching performances, practicing his speaking – an idol. He’ll still be an idol.

That scares Taekwoon. A lot.

All of the members have their own personae. Jaehwan is Ken, Wonshik is Ravi; Hongbin might still be Hongbin, but he’s not an artwork like everyone says. Taekwoon himself is Leo. But no matter how hard he looks, he can’t see the difference between Hyuk and Sanghyuk.

Taekwoon doesn’t talk to the maknae too often. With Sanghyuk, Taekwoon thinks it’s easier to use actions. It’s like when he’s with the younger boy words aren’t enough, or maybe words are too much. It’s odd. Using actions just feels  _ right _ .

That’s why he doesn’t think of anything when his hand settles onto Sanghyuk’s hair, gently patting the dyed strands. Taekwoon continues to read, his fingers idly playing with the maknae’s hair. 

“Taekwoon hyung?” Sanghyuk calls, sounding quiet and unsure.

“Hm?” The older boy doesn’t look up from his page, too focused on reading a passage from his book.

Sanghyuk doesn’t say anything after that for a while – how long exactly, Taekwoon doesn’t know. When the boy decides to speak again, it throws Taekwoon off guard.

“What does love feel like?”

The question actually shouldn’t surprise Taekwoon, in retrospect. Recently, Sanghyuk has been curious on the whole subject, talking to the other members whenever the time permits. Except for Taekwoon himself.

The problem now is that Taekwoon has no idea how to answer.

“I don’t know,” he replies honestly. “Ask someone else.”

“I asked  _ everybody _ ,” Sanghyuk mumbles. “I… Hyung, please.”

Taekwoon sits up, setting his book down on the ground. He pats the space beside him, wordlessly telling Sanghyuk to take the seat. The boy does, nervously wringing his hands together. Taekwoon has never seen the maknae look so… vulnerable.

“Love is,” starts Taekwoon, slow and hesitant, “warm.”

Sanghyuk snorts, but lets the elder go on.

“The feeling is different for everyone, I think, but I know it’s warm. The kind of warmth that makes you want to stay in all day, that sort of comfortable vibe.” Taekwoon looks down, embarrassed. “I’ve never really been  _ in love _ before. I’ve had crushes, back when I was in school, but it’s different. You just… know it’s different.”

“Different,” repeats Sanghyuk. “Hyung, how were your crushes?”

This is when Taekwoon can see the separation between Hyuk and Sanghyuk. This is Sanghyuk, the one staring straight into his eyes, almost afraid. There is no false confidence, no need to keep an appropriate face for the cameras. Taekwoon himself hadn’t even realized that he himself has been acting as Leo.

Taking a deep breath, Taekwoon starts to talk of young love, hopes and dreams. Sanghyuk listens to every word, never seeming to get tired of Taekwoon’s rambling. The conversation, however one-sided it may be, makes Taekwoon feel relaxed and a bit happy. Being with Sanghyuk does this to him, he supposes.


	11. growing some happiness (ravi/hongbin)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> there’s a flower shop, there’s a cute boy, and then there’s wonshik.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> posted: 05/30/2014

Buying a cactus every Saturday wasn’t exactly what Wonshik had in mind when he thought of flirting. But Wonshik thought like that three months ago, when that little shop on the corner of the block hadn’t existed. Now Wonshik thinks that buying a cactus every Saturday is the only way to flirt. 

“I’m glad you went for cacti,” Jaehwan tells him, on Friday, spreading himself over the couch to admire Wonshik’s most recent purchase. “You barely have to take care of them, so they almost never die.”

Wonshik pulls the tiny cactus away from the elder before he can impale his finger against its spikes. “Stay away from my stuff,” he warns, holding the pot above his head.

“You mean,  _ stay away from the stuff that was touched by my dear angel _ ,” Jaehwan says, mocking Wonshik’s deep tone of voice. “Yeah, yeah. Don’t get your panties in a bunch.”

“I don’t  _ wear panties _ ,” Wonshik mutters, hissing the last part of the sentence.

Jaehwan rolls his eyes. “You are such a kid. Can’t even say 'panties’ without being embarrassed.” He snorts when Wonshik flinches at the word. “But, Wonshik, you did not deny the angel stuff I said before that.”

Wonshik gives him a vague shrug in response, trudging to his room with the cactus in hand. Jaehwan can just barely hear him say, “He’s cute,” before shutting his door. 

Oh dear.

–

“Wonshik! Good afternoon! Happy Saturday!”

The voice flows like fresh air through Wonshik’s ears, making him sigh wistfully. “Hi, Hongbin,” he greets as he walks up to the counter. “How’ve you been?”

“Good, good.” Hongbin handles a rack of seedlings with gloved hands, carefully transferring them from pot to pot. “It’s getting a bit messy here,” he admits with a tired smile. 

“Where’s Sanghyuk?” asks Wonshik, referring to Hongbin’s younger brother who is also a part-time worker at the store.

Hongbin wipes his forehead with his sleeve, smearing dirt over himself ( _ he still looks perfect _ ) before sighing. “The kid’s got friends. Or, friend. A guy named Sungjae, last time I asked.”

“That’s nice for him, but you look like you need assistance,” Wonshik comments. As coolly as possible he offers, “I can lend a hand or two, if you’d like. If that’s okay. With you.”

Hongbin grins, delighted. (Wonshik can almost feel his heart flutter in his chest.) “Really? That’d be great! Can you grab me a ladder?”

For the next few hours, Wonshik helps Hongbin with little jobs – hauling boxes around, sweeping the floors, watering flowers. Wonshik sneaks glances at Hongbin out of the corner of his eye, every now and then. He’s able to notice little things about the flower boy. (Pun very intended.)

Hongbin giggles when the door rings.

Hongbin whistles when he counts the money in the register.

Hongbin sings when he thinks no one is watching.

Wonshik doesn’t really know how he makes it to the end of the day without melting into a giant pile of goop. He probably survives because of the adjusted temperature in the store or something ridiculous like that. The last job is turning the sign at the front window from  _ OPEN _ to  _ NOT OPEN _ .

Hongbin walks up to him, wiping his bare, dirtied hands with a towel. “It’s after hours, but do you still plan on getting a cactus today?” he asks.

“W-What?” Wonshik stutters. His technique of wooing Hongbin has been very covert, not at all suspicious, from what he knows. Has he been discovered!?

Hongbin tilts his head. “You get one every week.”

_ Oh _ . Well, that makes sense. Wonshik feels heat go to his cheeks.

“It’s come to the point where I have one picked out before you come to the shop.” After Hongbin says this, he ducks his head, as if he’s  _ allowed _ to be embarrassed.

Being embarrassed is Wonshik’s job. “Um,” he says, rubbing his palms on his pants. “Can I have that cactus, then?”

“Well…” Hongbin disappears to the back room, coming back with a blooming cactus. “Only if you promise me that you’ll love all of your cacti equally, no matter how many you get.”

“I can do that.” Wonshik nods, a little too eager. “Is there a limit?”

The laugh Hongbin lets out should be illegal. “As long as you keep coming to the shop, there’ll be a cactus waiting for you. Guaranteed.”

Wonshik grabs the pot and blushes as his fingers brush against Hongbin’s. “I’ll keep coming,” he says shyly. “Count on it.”

Hongbin’s reply: “I’ll be waiting!”

Yeah. If Wonshik wasn’t goop before, he is definitely goop now.


	12. so... (hyuk/hongbin)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> two awkwards don’t make a not-awkward. right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> posted: 06/06/2014

“How come you get to do clean-up duty together?” Wonshik whines, childishly stomping his foot on the ground. “Abandoning poor me…”

“We didn’t volunteer,” Hongbin sighs. “We just got picked.  _ Randomly _ .”

Wonshik grumbles, “Totally not fair.”

“Hyung, we don’t like it anymore than you do,” Sanghyuk says. Hongbin nods.

“Well, I’m just going to head home,  _ by myself _ , then. ‘Cause, you know. My friends are mean,” Wonshik drawls, leaving the classroom. “Goodbye, terrible friends.”

Hongbin rolls his eyes. “Drama queen.”

Sanghyuk chuckles. He grabs a broom and hands it off to Hongbin. “We better get started if we want to finish early,” he says. “Should I put up the chairs?”

“Mm,” Hongbin hums.

They begin to clean the room in tense silence, but not by choice. The thing is, Sanghyuk and Hongbin aren’t exactly… close. The two had met through the mutual social butterfly friend Wonshik and just went along with it. When all three of them are together, it’s totally fine. But when it’s only Sanghyuk and Hongbin…

It’s totally  _ awkward _ . Hongbin has always been an awkward person at heart behind his razzle-dazzle charms and good looks. Sanghyuk is just an awkward kid around Hongbin, because Hongbin’s awkward powers seem to affect him in a magic way like that.

Ten minutes into sweeping, Hongbin lets out a puff of air.

“Did you say something?” Sanghyuk chirps.

“No,” Hongbin mutters.

Sanghyuk looks down. “Oh, okay.”

Hongbin wants to punch himself in the face. Why does he have to be so… bad at doing things? Sanghyuk’s a good kid. He deserves a better person to be stuck with that’s not Mr. Forever-Awkward Hongbin. Urgh.

“Uh, hyung?”

“Huh?”

Sanghyuk blinks. “Do you think we’re, um, done with cleaning? Mr. Park said we didn’t have to wipe the windows, so.”

Scratching behind his ear, Hongbin nods. “Are you going to go home?” he asks as he picks up his backpack.

“Yeah,” Sanghyuk replies.

Hongbin continues nodding slowly. “That’s… cool. I’ll get going, then.” He all but sprints out of the school, thankful to get away from the uncomfortable situation with Sanghyuk. It’s when he’s at an intersection, waiting for the light to change, there’s a tap on his shoulder.

“Hi, hyung,” Sanghyuk says, smiling.

Hongbin stares at him, confused. “Are you following me,” he blurts.

Sanghyuk tilts his head to the side, letting out a little laugh. “I live over there,” he explains, pointing in the general direction of where Hongbin is walking.

“Oh, right.”  _ I can practically taste the awkward. It tastes like the ramyun I had for lunch… Wait a second. _

“Is it fine if I walked with you?” Sanghyuk asks, the moment the light turns green.

Hongbin hesitates. He eventually answers, “Sure.” With Sanghyuk now at his side, Hongbin is more aware of his movements. Is he slouching? Does he normally put his hands in his pockets? Why is he blinking so much?

“So,” Sanghyuk says, catching Hongbin’s attention. “How are things with you, hyung?”

“Um. Good.” Hongbin accidentally bumps shoulders with Sanghyuk, but the younger doesn’t say anything about it. Hm.

“That’s, uh, good. I’ve been good, too.”

Hongbin is  _ the worst _ at small talk. “Do you seriously want to talk to me, Sanghyuk?” he decides to ask outright. “I’m basically giving you my awkward, and you don’t want that.”

“But I like you,” blurts Sanghyuk. He immediately turns red in the face and tries to hide behind his hair.

“Excuse me? What now?”

“I… like you?” Sanghyuk says uncertainly, peeking out from his bangs. “If that’s okay with you.”

“Um.  _ Why _ .”

Sanghyuk whimpers. “Because you’re so,” he bites his lip, “nice. To everyone. Including me.”

“I have to have good manners to make up for my socially unacceptable awkwardness,” Hongbin admits, somewhat proudly.

Sanghyuk stops walking, making Hongbin pause as well. “You’re not awkward!” he exclaims. “You’re just awkward around me! I’m awkward!”

“No,  _ you’re _ the one who’s awkward around  _ me _ ,” Hongbin insists. “ _ I’m _ awkward.”

They have a mini stare down that ends with both of them announcing: “This is super awkward.” Sanghyuk grins widely while Hongbin tries to contain his laughter.

“Now it doesn’t really seem that awkward,” Hongbin admits.

Sanghyuk agrees. “Well, I know I’m about to make things weird when I ask this, but… Will you actually respond to my confession?”

“Uh,” Hongbin bumbles. “Yes.”

“What.”

“Yes.”

“What is that even answering?”

“Yes.”


	13. nightmare (n/ravi)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> there’s a demon in hakyeon’s room, and it has yet to come out and say hello. (demon au)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> posted: 04/02/2014

Hakyeon likes to sleep with all the lights off. His room, however, is never actually in complete darkness. There’s always something glowing bright red somewhere – a speck of light that moves when Hakyeon spots it.

It’s a demon, obviously. Demons are known to lurk in the shadows at the dead of night. The only thing that makes their presence known is their unique color they give off while they’re hiding.

Hakyeon’s parents study the creatures for a living, them being world-renown professionals and all, so he himself knows quite a bit. If his dancing career doesn’t work out, Hakyeon has the whole Demon Expert thing to fall back on.

After a particularily long night of practice, Hakyeon lies awake in his bed, silently watching the red light flicker around his room. Just like always, it doesn’t stay still for a moment. Hakyeon thinks that it’s beautiful.

“When are you going to come out?” Hakyeon asks in a hushed voice, knowing full well the demon can hear him. He’s talked to it before. “You’ve been here for such a long time, aren’t you bored?”

Hakyeon isn’t expecting much to happen, but  _ a lot happens _ . The red light stops on the ceiling, right in the middle, startling Hakyeon. It starts to expand, illuminating Hakyeon’s room. As fast as it had come, the light dispels just as quickly, leaving behind the one and only demon of Hakyeon’s room.

“Hello,” the creature says, voice low and gruff.

Hakyeon can’t see the demon, so he tries to reach for the switch on his bedside lamp. The demon’s hand – a calloused palm with blunt nails – holds his wrist, stopping him.

“Afraid of the light?” Hakyeon jokes, staring at what he thinks is the demon’s face.

“Hate it,” grumbles the demon. “Not afraid, per se.”

While the beast is temporarily distracted, Hakyeon escapes the demon’s clutches and flicks on the light. He glares at the demon after seeing the mark it had left on his arm. However, he glare is short-lived, quickly turning into widening eyes.

“Oh my god.”

The demon is totally  _ ripped _ , wearing a navy tank top that shows off his defined arm muscles. His hair is the same color as the light he shone, fire red with a hint of black at the roots. Even though Hakyeon is sitting, he can tell that this demon has some height on him. And that face,  _ wow, that face. _

“You suck,” the demon barks. After a moment, he loses his angry tone and grins. ( _ Wow, those teeth. _ ) “Nah, I’m just joking. Light’s not that bad.”

Hakyeon can’t seem to close his mouth.

“My name’s Ravi,” the demon introduces, holding out his hand. “I’m an A Class, I think. Sorry I didn’t come out earlier. I thought maybe you were just waiting for me to leave. Well, anyway, it’s nice to finally meet you. Hakyeon, right?”

This is an A Class. That is the level reserved for the most dangerous demons, the most powerful. Almost all the demons in the A Class are stone cold killers, infamous murderers. Hakyeon has seen them in books, has studied them in classes. They’re supposed to look deadly, with sharp fangs and glowing eyes.

But Ravi looks more like a giant teddy bear. (A giant teddy bear with dark yellow, nearly brown eyes and glistening white canines.)

Hakyeon is drawn to this demon, so it doesn’t actually surprise himself when he says, “Yeah, Cha Hakyeon,” and shakes the supernatural’s hand.


	14. right here, right now (n/ravi)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> so there’s a demon. then there’s hakyeon. yeah. (demon au)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> posted: 05/04/2014

Hakyeon isn’t normally lost for a topic, but right now, he is. It’s been nearly half an hour since Ravi has revealed himself, and they haven’t gotten into a legitimate conversation yet. It’s a weird feeling, for Hakyeon, being uncomfortable. He’s  _ never _ uncomfortable.

The situation hadn’t fully dawned on him until just moments ago, when he realized that he was ogling a  _ demon _ . Hakyeon knows that there are attractive people out there, and he knows that he enjoys being friends with said people, but a  _ demon _ . Could he… befriend a demon? Well, it’s worth a shot.

Hakyeon clears his throat. “So.”

The one-syllable word hangs in the air, thick as the chocolate pudding Ravi stole from Hakyeon’s mini fridge hidden in his closet. Hakyeon had let him, since he liked the way the Ravi’s face lit up at the sight of the snack. Also, he hadn’t really wanted to refuse a demon his desires.

“So?” Ravi repeats, stuffing another spoonful of pudding into his mouth.

Hakyeon grimaces because, ew, at least talk  _ after _ you’ve swallowed. “How long are you going to stay here?” he asks, scrunching his nose, wrapping his blanket around himself. “In my room, I mean.”

Ravi shrugs. “I don’t think I can leave.” Hakyeon opens his mouth to ask why, but the demon quickly shushes him, a laugh on his lips. “Got any demon books here?”

“My parents are specialists,” says Hakyeon. “There might be a few under my bed.”

Ravi sets his pudding down on a dresser and, shocking Hakyeon, morphs into a small creature — a peculiar mixture between a koala and a red panda. It’s entirely too cute to call demonic. Hakyeon has the urge to scoop up the creature and hug it to sleep. There are probably more than four reasons why that wouldn’t be a good idea, so he doesn’t.

Ravi, in his animal form, crawls under the bed, disappearing for a few seconds before emerging with a thin book between his teeth. Hopping onto the mattress, Ravi deposits it on Hakyeon’s lap. The demon makes no move to change back into his human form, wagging his tail and scratching the comforter.

“This is a children’s book,” Hakyeon states, confused, staring at the cover. “Mom read this to me when I was a kid. All it has is pictures, and maybe a few words.”

“The drawings are nice,” Ravi says. It surprises Hakyeon, since the demon still has the same voice, deep and gruff. When it comes from a foot long woodland-looking creature, it’s kind of funny.

“What did you want to show me, huh?”

Ravi nuzzles the book with his nose, turning to a page with a cartoon demon banging on a door. “This is me, only less attractive,” he says, a bit bashful. “What does it say in this tiny print… ‘When a demon enters a charmed room, the only way it can escape is to defeat its owner.’ Is  _ defeat _ the kid version of  _ kill _ ?”

“Oh, right. I guess in this case, yes. My parents did the whole charm-thing to all the rooms when they first got the house.” Hakyeon chuckles at Ravi’s seemingly grumpy expression. “I only know the super basic stuff about demons, okay, from the textbooks and my parents. I think I forgot about this.”

“Textbooks?” Ravi paws at his nose. “Most of the info in them is all from probing the lesser demons with sticks. No concrete stuff on the demon population as a whole. They’re as good as these baby-proofed picture stuff.”

“Huh,” Hakyeon says. “Wait, I feel the need to ask this. You’re not going to, uh,  _ defeat _ me, are you?”

Ravi bristles. “Don’t tell me you want me to.”

“Of course not! I’ve had a pretty good life so far, complete with a decent job and nice friends. I don’t want to die.” Hakyeon frowns. “So, the answer’s no?

"I like you,” Ravi declares. “You’re not actually… scared of me.”

“You look like a stuffed animal,” Hakyeon tells him. He remembers earlier, when he thought human-form Ravi looked like a teddy bear.

The observatory comment must flare something in Ravi, because he returns to his humanoid form, sprawled across Hakyeon’s bed. His eyes glow a rich gold, red hair twisting at the ends, and Hakyeon can feel Ravi’s claws elongate through the blanket.

Ravi rumbles, “Still not scary?”

“No,” Hakyeon says, honestly. “A bit tired, as far as I can tell. Not scary.”

Embarrassed, Ravi hides his head in Hakyeon’s sheets and nods. “Okay, maybe you’re right. Demons get tired, y'know.”

Hakyeon yawns, “Yeah, humans need to sleep, too.” It’s nearly three o’ clock. He looks at Ravi, who is getting comfortable on Hakyeon’s legs. “In the morning, I think I’ll have to interview you, if you’re going to be my roommate-friend-demon.”

“Mm,” Ravi hums.

“You do not look like a good candidate so far.”

Ravi pops his head up. “Why’s that?”

Hakyeon points to his dresser. “Garbage belongs in the garbage, or else it’ll collect ants. Throw that pudding cup away before I throw you out.”

“I’m not killing you,” Ravi says, nearly sounding childish. “So I get to stay, anyway. And look, I’m already so comfy.”

Rolling his eyes, Hakyeon pushes Ravi to the other side of the bed. “Goodnight, demon.” He reaches over to turn off the light, making the entire room dark save for the soft, red glimmer from the demon’s hair.

Laughing, Ravi replies, eyes falling closed, “Sleep tight, human.”

Hakyeon shifts over to face the supernatural, carefully examining Ravi’s flawless features, before he goes into slumber, heart fluttering. (Partly because of the fact that Ravi is very likely a dangerous demon Hakyeon has no idea how to explain to his parents, and mostly because Ravi looks really beautiful this close.)


	15. frames (ken/hongbin)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> jaehwan is the one with glasses; hongbin is the one with contacts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> posted: 09/29/2014

“See, everyone knows that my vision sucks because I wear these huge glasses. Your eyes are just as bad as mine, but no one can tell!”

Hongbin laughs at Jaehwan’s childish behavior while he fusses over his appearance. “You know you’re still adorable,” he says, moving closer to Jaehwan on the couch.

“Yes, I’m  _ always _ cute, but these glasses! They ruin my style!” Jaehwan complains.

Hongbin gives him a bemused look. “What exactly is your  _ style _ ?”

“My style is,” Jaehwan pauses, “passionate trendsetter.”

“Wow. That’s really…” Hongbin takes his boyfriend’s hand and starts to tap his fingers. “Very Lee Jaehwan,” he finally settles for.

“Thank you. Now, back to my glasses. And your not-glasses.”

Hongbin rolls his eyes. “Call them contacts, hyung.  _ Contacts _ .”

“Your  _ contacts _ ,” Jaehwan huffs. “They make you look so cool. Why can’t you just wear glasses? And be unstylish like me? We can match!”

“I wear my glasses,” Hongbin responds, pouting. “Only around the house.”

Scoffing dramatically, Jaehwan waves the statement away with his hand. “Obviously, that does not count.” He pushes the bridge of his glasses up, frowning.

“Why don’t you just get contacts, too, then?” Hongbin asks, delicately pulling Jaehwan’s glasses off his face. “They’re not so bad, once you get used to them. I’ll go to the optometrist with you, too.”

“Would you really?” Jaehwan asks, pursing his lips. “Last time you went, you thought Dr. Jung was going to murder you. Something about him stabbing you with the eyedropper?”

“That was you, Jaehwan hyung." 

The elder grunts, "Okay, but you see my point.”

“I don’t,” Hongbin says. “I’m not really sure you even see your point.”

Jaehwan gives him a disappointed look, setting his palm on his cheek. “Well, I can’t  _ now _ . You took my glasses off,” he huffs. “I can’t see anything.”

“You’re a big dork, you know that?” sighs Hongbin, returning Jaehwan’s glasses. “If you really want, I’ll wear my glasses every now and then, out of the house. Okay?”

“Yes! Hooray!” cheers Jaehwan as he wraps his arms around Hongbin’s middle. “Thanks, Hongbin.” He kisses his cheek, smiling just enough for Hongbin to feel it against his skin.

“As long as you don’t complain anymore,” Hongbin declares. “And visit Dr. Jung to grab some contacts, just in case you ever want to wear them.”

Jaehwan raises an eyebrow. “I don’t think either of those are possible,” he says flatly.

Hongbin shrugs. “It was worth a shot. But Dr. Jung isn’t–”

“Nope! I swear – he’s out to get me. I am  _ not _ risking my life for a pair of contacts that’ll probably be laced with acid or poison or salt or something deadly like that. Dr. Jung is  _ evil _ . He hates me.”

“I’m sure he hates everyone, so you don’t need to feel that special.”


	16. do it cutely! (ken/hyuk)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> jaehwan teaches sanghyuk the art of being cute.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> posted: 10/07/2014

“Why,” is the first thing that comes out of Sanghyuk’s mouth when he sees the giant poster board presentation set up in the living room, a beaming Jaehwan beside it.

“Cute lessons!” the elder announces cheerfully.

“Which are,” Sanghyuk asks slowly, holding his pillow against his stomach. All of a sudden, he regrets staying at the dorm and not going with the other members to the movies. Well, the other members minus Lee Jaehwan.

Jaehwan sighs unnecessarily loud as he shakes his head in (what seems to be) disappointment. “My dear, dear Hyuk,” he says solemnly. “You have so much to learn.”

“But  _ why _ ,” Sanghyuk groans tiredly. “I just want to head to bed and sleep. I’m a young, growing boy. I need those few extra centimeters.”

“You’re kidding me,” Jaehwan huffs. “These cute lessons will be way handier than you towering over the rest of us.” He snaps his fingers and directs his finger to the middle of the poster board. “ _ Maknae _ .”

“Was that supposed to intimidate me or something?”

“No, it’s supposed to make you act  _ cute _ .” Jaehwan says this in a cloyingly sweet manner, cupping his hands over his cheeks. “Like so,” he says cheerily.

“I’m not doing that,” grunts Sanghyuk.

Jaehwan straightens up and clears his throat. “Of course you will!” Out of his pocket, he pulls a retractable pointer and hits the top left corner of the board. “Which brings me to the first point: Appeal!”

Sanghyuk squints his eyes. “Where did you even get that?” he asks. He climbs onto the couch, accepting that he isn’t going to get out of this… learning session.

“Irrelevant!” Jaehwan shouts. “Now, back to the Appeal. Being cute has its own reasons, obviously, and the main one for an idol is how the fans will like it – how cute-osity  _ appeals _ to them. The fans like it, so we do it!”

“I don’t think ‘cute-osity’ is a word, hyung.”

Jaehwan twists his lips to the side. “That leads into the next second point: Sounding Cute!” (Sanghyuk tries not to outwardly groan and offend his elder.) “How you say your words is a key element of becoming  _ cute _ . Also, creating entirely made-up words helps, too!”

Sanghyuk gives him a blank look. “Seriously,” he deadpans.

“Very,” Jaehwan says. “Now, moving on to… Acting Cute! Actions to accentuate your ability to become the cutest you can ever be!” Halfway through the sentence, Jaehwan does a pirouette and winks at Sanghyuk.

“I will  _ never _ do that,” Sanghyuk declares hotly, feeling his cheeks blush.

Jaehwan hums thoughtfully, shuffling over to Sanghyuk and pinching his cheeks. “I think you’ll do great, Hyukkie,” he sings. “You just have to have…” He flicks his pointer at the last point on the poster, a loud  _ thwack _ resonating throughout the dorm.

“Commitment?” reads Sanghyuk, scoffing right afterwards.

“How smart! Do you want a prize?” Jaehwan bats his eyelashes as he procures a piece of candy from his pocket. It looks like a mini lollipop. “It’s strawberry,” he states, raising a suggestive eyebrow.

Sanghyuk scrunches his nose, turning his head away. “I’m not a kid,” he mutters grumpily. After a couple seconds, he peeks over and stares at Jaehwan, with the sweet still in his hand. Sighing, Sanghyuk snatches the lollipop and says sternly, “I’m only doing this because I like this flavor.”

“Whatever you say,” Jaehwan hums. “Well, as  _ I _ was saying, committing to cuteness is relatively easy. You try to be cute whenever you can, making people laugh and smile because of it! It’s fine if you do it all the time or every once in a while – cute is cute! Everyone likes cute!”

“Taekwoon hyung hates when you do stuff like that,” Sanghyuk points out. He pops the lollipop out of his mouth, staring intently at it. “And sometimes Hakyeon hyung. Maybe Hongbin hyung. Wonshik hyung, if you do it for too long.” He pauses. “Plus me, too.”

Jaehwan feigns grief, jutting out his lower lip and shaking his closed fist by his eye. “Sanghyuk, you wound me. Right here.” He softly pats his other hand on his chest. “Right in the heart.”

“Someone has to,” proclaims Sanghyuk. He yawns, stretching his arms back and squeezing his eyes shut. “Can I go to bed yet? I’m tired, hyung. And I’m almost done with my lollipop.”

“But I haven’t even gotten to my PowerPoint presentation!” Jaehwan whines as he childishly stomps his foot on the ground. “I used so many good examples, too! Girl groups! Me! Things from anime! Me!”

Sanghyuk sighs, breathing out slowly. He is really tired of this, and there’s only one way out. Begrudgingly, he clasps his hands under his chin and pouts. “ _ Jaehwan hyung _ ,” he coos in a cute voice, “please let me go to bed! I need to have my sleepy-times!  _ Aing _ !”

Jaehwan’s grin spreads from ear to ear, and he tackles Sanghyuk to the back of the couch with a powerful hug. “You were listening to me!” he exclaims gleefully, squishing the air out of Sanghyuk. “The maknae was paying attention!”

“Yeah, yeah. Get  _ off _ . This is never happening again.”

“BUT YOU WERE SO ADORABLE!”


	17. soda-pop-corn (leo/hongbin)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> going to the movies should not be this complicated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> posted: 11/11/2014

Taekwoon has been staring at the overhead menu for over an eternity. He’s causing traffic in the concession line. Heavy traffic. The line is nearly twice as long as it should be, and there are probably a number of aggravated movie-goers cursing their names right now.

Hongbin lets out a whining noise, akin to a newly born kitten. “Hyung, pick something.”

“There’s so much,” says Taekwoon, matter-of-fact. 

“Just pick something! The movie starts in five minutes!”

Taekwoon squints at Hongbin. “But there’s so much,” he repeats, as if that’s enough reason for him to take forever in his decision-making process.

Rubbing his temples, Hongbin chances a look behind him. An old couple glares resolutely at his face and he feels like crying. “I’ll pay for whatever you want, so  _ pick something _ ,” he pleads.

“But I promised to pay for everything,” mumbles Taekwoon, tugging on the string of his sweater.

Hongbin throws his hands up in the air, admitting defeat. “Fine,” he huffs. “Fine! Fine. Do what you will.” He crosses his arms over his chest,  _ definitely _ not pouting. “We’re going to miss the previews,” he mutters.

“Nobody cares about the previews,” Taekwoon proclaims mercilessly.

“ _ I _ care about the previews. They’re, like, the  _ best part _ .”

Taekwoon promptly ignores him. He (finally) gives his order, which the young worker behind the counter hurries to fill. In record time (Hongbin counts a minute and fourteen seconds) Taekwoon receives his order in exchange for the standard overly-priced price of movie food.

As they walk to their theater down the hall, Hongbin gawks at Taekwoon’s receipt. “I can’t believe you paid  _ this much _ for a cup of popcorn and a sippy cup of Pepsi,” he says in awe.

“They’re both mediums,” Taekwoon retorts feebly.

Hongbin rolls his eyes as he holds open the door. “Come on, we have to find a good spot to sit.”

For some odd reason, Taekwoon had picked a nearly month-old movie with mediocre reviews, from critics and audience alike. That means there’s a practically empty theater with an abundance of seating choices – and Hongbin is paired with a totally indecisive Jung Taekwoon. Hongbin, recalling this upon entering, sighs heavily.

“Let’s sit near the front,” Hongbin tries, leading Taekwoon by the wrist.

“No, that’s too close,” Taekwoon declares quietly. “Maybe up in the back…”

Hongbin purses his lips. “How about the middle, right where we can see everything?” he suggests, hoping to sway his friend with his bright smile. Fortunately, Taekwoon agrees with only a moment’s hesitation. They settle in their seats, just as the lights start to dim, and Hongbin can barely keep his excitement contained.

“Ah, thank goodness we didn’t miss them,” Hongbin says quietly. Halfway through the second preview, Taekwoon begins to fidget. Concerned, Hongbin asks, “Hyung, are you okay?”

Taekwoon makes a tiny noise of distress. “I have to go to the bathroom,” he mutters, ducking his head in embarrassment.

“And…?”

The tips of Taekwoon’s ears redden tremendously as he mumbles, “I don’t know where it is.”

“Do you want me to come with and show you,” Hongbin deadpans.

Taekwoon nods. “Yes, please.”

Hongbin takes Taekwoon’s hand and gently pulls him out of the theater. “I am the best  _ ever _ ,” he declares softly.“You know what? You owe me another movie. A good – no, a  _ great _ movie. A Disney one or something. It better make us cry.”

“Okay,” Taekwoon whispers, a little intimidated, cheeks delightfully pink.


	18. don't touch (hyuk/vixx)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sanghyuk has sensitive ears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> posted: 11/23/2014

Hakyeon is the one to find out first, which makes sense because he’s always touching  _ everything _ – which also seems to include his other members’ body parts.

It’s after a performance, all of them exhausted from flitting across the stage, choreography advanced and energy-draining. They’re recovering in their waiting room, slumped on chairs or lying on couches, getting makeup touched up or having the sweat wiped from their faces.

Hakyeon takes over the biggest couch, relaxing himself against the cool leather. Two of the members, Hongbin and Sanghyuk, sit on either side of him. Hongbin puts on his headphones and closes his eyes, choosing to take a quick nap before the music show ending stage. Sanghyuk, instead, chooses to engage in some lighthearted teasing of the leader.

“Hyung, I think I’m almost an entire head taller than you,” he jokes, using his hand to roughly measure it out, though it’s useless since they’re both sitting.

“I’m not that short,” Hakyeon argues sternly. “I’m as tall as Wonshik!”

“Are you sure those aren’t just because of shoe lifts?” Sanghyuk snickers. “I heard you could go up to five centimeters higher with those, just sayin’.”

Hakyeon glares at him. “My shoes are the same as yours,” he declares.

Sanghyuk raises an eyebrow, smirking childishly. “Really, hyung? Are you sure?”

“This kid,” hisses Hakyeon, flicking the base of Sanghyuk’s nose.

The maknae continues to chuckle, amused, which fuels Hakyeon to flick his forehead, hair, fingers, neck… When Hakyeon flicks his ear – soft and wanton, Sanghyuk  _ moans _ .

Hakyeon’s eyes go wide, and he stares at Sanghyuk, speechless. Sanghyuk diverts his eyes from Hakyeon’s gaze, shoulders trembling. The leader tries to brush it off, but it doesn’t work. Thankfully, a stylist takes Hakyeon away to fix his smudged eyeliner, leaving Sanghyuk alone with a sleeping Hongbin on the couch.

While he sits in the makeup chair, Hakyeon can’t get that sound out of his head, replaying it over and over like a broken record.

–

Jaehwan is more playful, compared to the Cha leader, when it comes to Sanghyuk.

In the beginning of VIXX, Sanghyuk and Jaehwan hadn’t been particularly close to one another. After finding out that they share a small interest of Japanese cartoons –  _ anime _ – it had been easy to better their relationship. It comes as a learned habit: Jaehwan finds an interesting new release and goes to find Sanghyuk, or vice versa. On their nights off, Jaehwan leans against Sanghyuk’s side as they watch an episode on the younger’s iPad.

“What’s it today?” asks Jaehwan, fitting his head into the crook of Sanghyuk’s neck.

Sanghyuk swipes his finger across the touch screen, revealing two cover pictures that Jaehwan doesn’t recognize. “There are two that I found,” he says. “One is gory action; the other is super cute.”

Jaehwan hums and examines his fingernails. “So what are they about?” he asks.

“Um…” Sanghyuk looks for the description, starting with the action anime. “Well, there’s a group of assassins, and they take out the corrupt people in the country. Except people don’t see them as the good guys, because they’re ignorant of the truth behind the Emperor…”

Curiously, as he begins to grow bored, Jaehwan turns his head slightly and blows a puff of air into Sanghyuk’s ear. He expects an indignant squeak, a slap to the neck, a puff back – something that he can laugh about later. But Jaehwan doesn’t get any of that. In fact, Sanghyuk goes alarmingly still, completely silenced.

All Jaehwan can tell is that Sanghyuk’s cheeks and the tips of his ears are tinged bright red. Biting his lower lip, Sanghyuk clears his throat and continues speaking, with only a slight hitch in his voice.

Jaehwan is much more attentive to what Sanghyuk is saying, though he gets more focused on the younger male’s mouth as the time goes by.

–

Hongbin is part of the maknae line. He and Sanghyuk had once been awkward, but after a year and so forth of being in the same group, they’ve grown accustomed to one another. Now, Sanghyuk considers Hongbin the person he’s closest to in the group, which is why Hongbin is the person he calls when he gets drunk for the first time – from only two shots of soju.

“You’re really… something,” Hongbin says exasperatedly, hoisting Sanghyuk’s arm around his neck. “Manager hyung would kill you over something like this, you know.”

“No,  _ shhhh _ ,” slurs Sanghyuk, hiccupping. “You can’t tell Hakyeon hyung. He’ll… He’ll chop my neck… Like a titan…”

Hongbin scoffs, “Is that some anime reference I’m not getting?”

Sanghyuk stumbles close to Hongbin’s side and nods against his shoulder, grinning. “Jaehwan hyung would’ve gotten that,” he giggles. “We watched a little of SNK yesterday…”

“Good for you,” Hongbin says patronizingly as he hauls Sanghyuk onto his back. He’s worried that his friend will trip and hurt himself, and then someone will blame Hongbin for it. (There’s also the  _ I’m worried for Sanghyuk  _ part, but the being blamed aspect outweighs that.)

“Hey, hyung, hey. Hyung. Hyung. Hey, Hongbin hyung, I’m talking to you, hyung! Hyung. Hongbin hyung. Lee Hongbin… hyung. Kong! Ah, Kong hyung! Dimpled hyung!”

“What, my goodness, do you  _ want _ ,” snaps Hongbin, tone verging on annoyed.

Sanghyuk snickers, “I have a secret.”

Hongbin pulls a distasteful from. “You reek,” he mumbles, wrinkling his nose. “Should I ask you about your secret? Or is that too secret for you to reveal to me?”

“Say please,” Sanghyuk requests drunkenly, a pout on his face.

Humoring him, Hongbin rolls his eyes and mumbles, “Please, Sanghyuk.”

“Since you asked so nicely,” Sanghyuk laughs under his breath, tickling the back of Hongbin’s neck. “I have a weakness. A weakness that is so good, you’ll  _ never _ guess it.”

“You’re supposed to tell me.”

Sanghyuk takes a moment to reflect on his words. “Oh, right.” He clears his throat and says lowly, “My ears.”

“Your ears are your secret,” Hongbin says dully. “Wow. Such a surprise.”

“No, there’s more!” Sanghyuk insists. “Anything that you do to them makes me…” He pauses. Hongbin can feel something hot and wet gliding against the outer part of his own ear. “ _ Melt _ ,” whispers Sanghyuk, an entirely innocent laugh following.

Hongbin purses his lips. “Let’s… get you home, maknae.”

–

Wonshik and Sanghyuk are roommates who agree to wake one another up in the mornings. Most of the time, Sanghyuk is the one who ends up doing the waking. Wonshik is in no way, shape, or form a morning person. (Not much of a  _ getting up _ person, actually.)

Yesterday had been a grueling practice session, the hours slipping past midnight and traveling into the early sunrise of the day. Once the members returned to the dorm, all of them collapsed on their beds, exhausted, too beat to even wash themselves off.

The following day is one reserved for rest, so all the members are knocked out ‘til the afternoon. Sanghyuk is the first to wake, groggily sitting up and rubbing at his face. Grumpily, he curses at his young internal clock that wakes him up after seven hours of sleep.

The next thing that comes to mind is to crawl atop Wonshik and pinch his soft, pink cheeks. It’s a newer method of getting the sleepiest member to wake up. (Hakyeon had done it in the waiting room, and it took Wonshik less than three minutes to actually realize that they were about to perform.)

Still in a blurred state of mind, Sanghyuk shuffles over to Wonshik and lays his hand on the older member’s face. “Hyung,” he mutters. “Wonshik hyung, we have a schedule.”

No response.

“Get up,” Sanghyuk whines, squishing the elder’s cheeks together.

Wonshik shrugs him off, rolling over, and slurs, “There’s  _ nothing _ t'day.”

Sanghyuk weighs the words in his head, letting the gears click into place. “I got up for  _ nothing _ ,” he sighs, dropping down next to Wonshik. With his cheek practically plastered onto the pillow, he mumbles, “Hyung, lemme sleep here.”

Groaning, Wonshik blindly swats behind him, a feeble attempt to shoo the maknae away. His fingers find the lobe of Sanghyuk’s ear and instinctively tug, quick and gentle. And Sanghyuk, defenses down, lets out a loud and audible whine.

Wonshik registers the noise instantaneously, bolting up and staring incredulously at Sanghyuk. “H-Hyuk,” he stammers, but the younger boy has already fallen back asleep, legs tangled in the sheets.

–

Taekwoon, for once, is last. It’s no competition, but the way everyone is acting makes it feel like something more than that. Each of the members is acting a shade different around their maknae, cautious and antsy. There’s an itch under Taekwoon’s skin to find out what had happened to make it like this.

However, Jung Taekwoon doesn’t talk avidly, so it takes some time for him to crack. An exact measurement: Two whole months. Finally at the end of his line, he meets with Sanghyuk, more importantly cornering him in their dorm’s bathroom while the others are out shopping.

“What’s the deal?” he asks sternly, a little embarrassed that he sounds almost like Wonshik.

Sanghyuk looks at him, confused. “Hyung, what are you talking about?”

“They’re all… The other members are…” Taekwoon trails off, looking down. “Acting strange. Around you.”

“O-Oh,” Sanghyuk stutters. “T-That’s nothing, hyung. You don’t have to worry!”

Taekwoon squints at him, clearly not convinced. “Tell me what happened,” he demands.

“Nothing happened!” Sanghyuk claims, eyes darting to the side. “Is that Manager hyung? Yeah, sure, that’s him! Does he want me? Look at that. Well, bye, hyung! I’ll be on my–”

“Stop,” Taekwoon orders as he halts Sanghyuk by grabbing a hold of his ear. “What  _ happened _ ,” he repeats firmly.

Sanghyuk is completely silent, harshly worrying his bottom lip. “H-Hyung, can you let go?” he finally asks. “P-Please,” he breathes, eyes squeezed shut.

“Just tell me what happened,” Taekwoon says quietly.  _ I’ll take care of you _ is an unspoken phrase that he hopes Sanghyuk can receive.

Swallowing thickly, a self-conscious Sanghyuk points at his ear, where Taekwoon’s fingers are still latched. “ _ That _ ’s what happened,” he mumbles, voice cracking. “Now, can you  _ please _ let go, hyung?”

Blinking naively, Taekwoon tries to make sense of Sanghyuk’s answer. “What do you…?” He glances at Sanghyuk’s current state – flushed cheeks, heavy breathing, a hand tightly clasping the waistband of his sweatpants. He looks…  _ oh _ .

“Please leave,” Sanghyuk whimpers, absolutely mortified.

Taekwoon quickly releases his hold on Sanghyuk’s ear and sprints to the couch, watching the bathroom door slam shut and lock. He places a palm on his cheek and feels the growing warmth starting to spread.

–

At radio shows, Sanghyuk doesn’t wear his headphones like the rest of them. The members might glance in his direction, stare, but they say nothing. There is a memory in each of their minds that explains enough.


	19. brunch (ravi/hyuk)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the world-renowned engineer kim wonshik has built the very first humanoid robotics system.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> posted: 02/15/2015

“Professor, are you going to wake up?”

“No,” grumbles Wonshik, tossing over in his bed. 

The whirring of Sanghyuk’s internal hard drive fills the cold room, computing and analyzing Wonshik’s ever-so-casual dialogue. “But, Professor,” Sanghyuk finally says, setting a light hand on the blanket. “I am supposed to wake you at nine.”

Wonshik blearily opens an eye. “Hyukkie,” he murmurs tiredly, “tell me the time.”

“Half past noon,” the robot responds without delay. A couple seconds later: “Oh.”

“ _ Oh _ , indeed.”

A weight settles beside Wonshik, presumably Sanghyuk having taken a seat next to him. “Did I disappoint you, Professor?” he asks. “I promise that was not my intention.”

Wonshik sits up, sighing. He pats Sanghyuk on the head, the robot already used to this form of affection from his maker. “Not at all,” Wonshik declares softly. “You’re always doing great, Hyukkie.”

Sanghyuk purses his lips, glancing down. “I am still apologetic,” he says sullenly. “I will try to be better in the future, Professor.”

“Hyukkie, you could kill it with the ‘Professor’ label.” Wonshik stands up and heads to his dresser, picking up his glasses and slipping them onto his face. “It’s making me feel stuffy.”

Sanghyuk tilts his head, gazing curiously into Wonshik’s eyes. “Kill…?”

“It’s a figure of speech. Don’t actually kill me.”

After washing up, Sanghyuk waiting patiently for him outside the bathroom door, Wonshik heads to his office to start on his work. Located on the second floor of his home, his workspace is actually a large laboratory that spans several rooms, each filled with different kinds of technological equipment. They enter the computer room – large monitors on the walls, a wireless keyboard on the desk, papers and pencils scattered from place to place.

“What have you been up to while I was snoozing, Hyukkie?” Wonshik asks as he drops onto his swivel chair, powering up his main computer. The startup screen plays its simple two-beat tune and shows the background, a handsome picture of Wonshik and Sanghyuk at their first press conference together.

“I watered all the houseplants,” responds Sanghyuk, puffing out his chest proudly.

Wonshik frowns. “Hyukkie, all the plants in my home are made of plastic.”

Sanghyuk beeps twice, the first long and the second short, and then visibly deflates. “Oh,” he says. “That is a problem.”

“Yeah, a bit.” Wonshik scratches his neck, humming. “How’ve you been feeling, Hyukkie? You seem out of it today.”

“I think my batteries are low,” Sanghyuk says. “I have not charged since yesterday evening.”

Wonshik slaps his knee, declaring knowingly, “That’s probably it.” He gestures for Sanghyuk to come close, and the robot automatically trots over and holds out his arm. Wonshik clicks open the control panel on Sanghyuk’s wrist, exposing thin sapphire wires to the air.

“Hyukkie, do you like talking like that?” asks Wonshik, as he connects a charger cable to the lightning port.

Sanghyuk blinks, his irises flashing green. “What do you mean, Professor?”

“I didn’t realize I programmed you to be so formal, you know. You sound so stiff.” Wonshik glances back at his computer, where Sanghyuk’s file icon rests in the corner of the screen. “Do you want me to change that?”

“Would that make you more comfortable?” Sanghyuk asks, unfazed as Wonshik begins to poke around through his circuitry with a small screwdriver.

Wonshik peers up at Sanghyuk, an eyebrow raised, hands stilled where he’s adjusting a stray wire. “How would that make  _ you _ feel?”

Taking a deep breath in, an entirely synthetic movement, Sanghyuk hums lightly. “I do not know,” he says. “My only goal is to make you proud, Professor. That is all.”

“Wow, I’m blushing,” jokes Wonshik.

“I would not mind new information, though.”

Wonshik laughs heartily. “I’ll take that as a yes, then.” He turns to his keyboard, lightly tapping onto the buttons and opening bulky files. “You’re going to help me, okay? You’re going to tell me what to put on your new data card.”

“Japanese cartoons,” Sanghyuk proclaims instantly. “Common speech. And recipe lists.”

Wonshik types out lines and lines of codes, smiling, while Sanghyuk comes up with more things to input onto the card. It’s amazing how much Sanghyuk has come to know on his own, without the need to have it developed and scanned before putting it into his hard drive. Sanghyuk (HSH-1) is a one of a kind invention of Kim Wonshik’s, one that he’s immensely proud of – growing more and more impressed at every passing moment. Not because Sanghyuk is the very first of his kind, no, but because Sanghyuk is all that Wonshik has ever dreamed of ever achieving and then some.

“Is that all?” Wonshik asks once Sanghyuk goes completely silent. The robot responds with an immediate nod. “Well, anything you have to say before I update your information, Hyukkie?”

The tips of Sanghyuk’s fingers twitch. “Do not expect less of me, Professor.”

“I would never,” Wonshik says firmly. “I expect you to perform your best – sometimes more, never less.”

“Alright. Then that is all,” concludes Sanghyuk, smiling brightly. He bows his head, hands clasped behind his back. “Please, take care of me, Professor.”

Wonshik carefully undoes the buttons of Sanghyuk’s shirt, revealing the main port that holds the power button and card slots – where the heart of a human would normally be. Shutting Sanghyuk off, Wonshik takes out the robot’s old data card and inserts the new and improved one. Once Wonshik restarts Sanghyuk’s system, the cables laced throughout Sanghyuk’s body glow blue, pockets of information in the form of bursts of light.

“Wow,” is the first thing that slips out of Sanghyuk’s mouth, almost a sigh. “That felt… super weird.”

Wonshik grins. “What’s up, Hyukkie?”

Sanghyuk’s eyes flash toward him, and he chuckles, “Nothing much, hyung.” He presents a boyish smile, placing his hands casually in his pockets. “Do you want something to eat? I know how to make breakfast food now.”

Standing up and throwing an arm around Sanghyuk’s shoulders, Wonshik starts to walk them down the stairs, synchronized in step. “How are you going to make my eggs?” he asks.

“Uh.” Sanghyuk frowns. “Sunny-side up? Sounds like something you’d like.”

Wonshik shakes his head. “Nah, I like mine over-easy. But I guess you were close.”

“Darn,” mutters Sanghyuk, snapping his fingers regretfully. “I’ll guess right next time, hyung!”

“Of course you will,” concurs Wonshik, fondly patting the top of Sanghyuk’s hair. He can get used to this.


	20. good enough (ot6)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> it’s not like the earth will stop turning if they don’t do their jobs… how about some slacking? (the irrelevant gods au)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> posted: 03/22/2015

Tipping people’s cups over is, at the best of times, the worst job in existence to ever be in charge of. Imagine doing it for nearly three centuries, without any other purpose for yourself. That is, unfortunately, the life of Hakyeon – god of spilled liquids.

The life of a god is not at all glamorous if no one knows of their existence. Those are the gods that roam the earth to do their bidding, rather than in separate realms with dozens of helpers at their sides. Nameless gods (as they are commonly referred to as) act almost as invisible ghosts – presence mainly unnoticed by humans, for the exception of young children and animals. Occasionally, there are a few unique souls that are able to catch a glimpse of them.

Albeit boring, the routine of nameless gods are simple and undemanding. There are a number of them around the globe, teleporting to wherever they please, doing what they’re meant to do. But, as Hakyeon taps a Starbucks mocha to collapse onto a college kid’s organic chemistry notes, in Boston, he wonders if this is really all he can and will ever amount to.

“Holy shit,” curses the student, seething, scrambling at the ruined papers. “Oh my god, what did I do to  _ deserve _ this?”

Hakyeon pats the distressed female’s shoulder, the action unbeknownst to her. “I’m sorry about your notes,” he says futilely. “I’ll try to put in a good word to Jinki… if he ever replies to my calls. Everyone is praying to the god of good grades…” By some stroke of fate, Hakyeon’s phone begins to buzz in the pocket of his jeans.

It’s a text from Wonshik, another (irrelevant) god – the god of slightly damaged electronics. Sometimes, he and Hakyeon work together to get their jobs done; other times they just hang out. Right now, Wonshik wants to bring Hakyeon to a restaurant in Seoul. He seems to have invited several other gods, aside from Hakyeon, which means Wonshik must’ve been considerably bored and/or lonely.

Waving goodbye to the distraught college student, Hakyeon stands tall and takes a deep breath in. He focuses on the bustling night air, tall towers, and crowded streets of South Korea, and travels with a bright red beam of light.

–

Taekwoon sits in a large oak tree, patting a furry squirrel in his lap. His phone vibrates in his pocket, but he lets it be. Whoever is calling him can wait. No one noteworthy ever tries to contact him, and anyone who does is almost always Hakyeon. But the vibrations get so incessant that the squirrel scurries off, leaving Taekwoon irritated at the disrupter.

“ _ What _ ?” he all but snaps the moment he answers his phone.

A cheery voice sing-songs from the other end: “ _ Taekwoon! Hey! How’s it going? Want to come to Seoul for some grilled meat? _ ”

“Wonshik?” Taekwoon says, confused. “What is the occasion?”

“ _ Nothing much, nothing much… I invited a few others, too. I’m craving Korean food, I really am! Come on, it’s not the same without you with us! Hakyeon is going to be all over the place! _ ”

Taekwoon involuntarily scowls. “That means Jaehwan will be there as well?”

“ _ Ah, yeah… Are you two still fighting? It’s been months, Taekwoon! Months! _ ”

“I’ve been alive for centuries, what is your point,” Taekwoon replies dully.

“ _ Well, you should be over– over whatever Jaehwan did! The two of you faded out, and that really made the rest of us break away, too! Come on, all of us need each other! The unimportant have to stick together, you know! _ ”

Taekwoon hates that term.  _ Unimportant _ . Sure, being the god of undermined animals can easily be put tied to that word, but Taekwoon doesn’t… He hates being unimportant. He knows that, really, they’re not  _ unimportant _ – they’re just  _ not as  _ important as the more known, higher up gods. For last few decades, Wonshik and the others have thought less and less of themselves, and Taekwoon is partially to blame for it.

Feeling his softer side come out of him, Taekwoon bunches his hands in his shirt and mumbles, “Okay, I’ll go.”

“ _ Taekwoon, reconsider your decision before you– Wait, you’ll go? Really? Awesome! Great! You know where to meet, right? We used to go there all the time back in the ‘90s! I heard they got lots of renovation done, with flashing lights, plasma screens– _ ”

Taekwoon hangs up. He can hear Wonshik babble later.

–

“Sanghyuk, you’re not allowed to touch the food,” Hakyeon orders strictly.

“That’s unfair! I want to eat, too!” Sanghyuk huffs, childishly stomping his feet on the concrete. His bag bounces against his hip, the suspicious clanging of metal against metal.

Acting motherly, Hakyeon pats his cheek. “I will get your food for you, don’t worry. It’s in the best interests of everyone.”

“Yeah, we don’t want our meat to taste like charcoal,” Hongbin snorts, grin wide.

Sanghyuk glares at the other god. “Shut up, Bingo.”

Hongbin’s smile slips off his face faster than Taekwoon attracts the cat on the other side of the street as he comes by. “No fighting,” Taekwoon says quietly. “Wonshik would be angry if he saw you like this.”

“Taek!” Hakyeon exclaims brightly, extending out his arms and engulfing the other in a warm hug. “You’re here!”

“Careful, Hakyeon. A pigeon might come out of his sleeve and peck your eye out,” Sanghyuk jokes, chuckling. He cowardly shields his face when Taekwoon takes a menacing step toward him.

“Hey now, let’s all get along,” Hakyeon coos, stroking Taekwoon’s hair. “I think I see Jaehwan and Wonshik heading this way.”

The other gods arrive at the venue, aloof and casual. “Hey, everyone,” greets Jaehwan, offering a small wave. “Are we going to go in?”

“Yeah, I reserved seats for this time,” Wonshik says, checking his watch. “Hopefully they notice that we’re here. If not, Sanghyuk is in charge of waving around menus or something to get a waiter’s attention.”

Sanghyuk salutes. “Roger that, captain.”

Another downside to being an irrelevant god means humans not noticing your presence. It takes great effort on their part, to amplify their  _ godliness _ to attract a simple glance from someone. Honestly, that’s one of the reasons Wonshik invites all of them for food. It’s not like gods actually have to eat, but it’s tasty nonetheless. Having six entirely minor gods is usually enough to keep the attention of a single food server.

“Excuse me, sir,” Wonshik says as he steps up to the front podium, where a waiter is inputting orders on the cash register’s touch screen. “I have a reservation for–”

The worker turns around, not even acknowledging Wonshik’s presence, and flits away to another table. Wonshik sighs loudly. The group is left standing, disappointed but not surprised. 

“Plan B,” Sanghyuk chirps, eagerly reaching into his bag. “So I brought a bull horn, a mini megaphone, a hotel bell thing, firecrackers, a box of matches–”

“What would a box of matches do?” Jaehwan inquires, borderline curious.

Sanghyuk shrugs. “Set a small fire, get the sprinklers to turn on, everybody’s wondering who did it – and then we come out and say, 'Us! Can we have our table now?’”

“There are… so many things wrong with that,” Jaehwan says slowly. “I think the hotel bell will do just fine.”

Smiling devilishly, Sanghyuk pulls out the bell and cackles, “Get ready for some totally necessary, totally annoying dinging for the next twenty or so minutes.”

It only takes eight minutes – Taekwoon times it – for someone to notice them. A waitress comes by to scold them for the disturbance, but when Wonshik informs her that they’re valuable customers, she colors red and escorts them to a very nice, very spacious booth. With complimentary water!

“I love it when this happens,” sings Hakyeon, sprawling out on the seats.

Sanghyuk nudges him over with his leg. “Don’t hog all the room!” he whines.

“Don’t be a baby,” barks Hakyeon. “Now, come sit on my lap, little god.”

Hongbin makes a disgusted face, forcibly pushing Hakyeon to fit the rest of them at the table. “Hakyeon, don’t be gross.”

Hakyeon retorts childishly, “ _ You’re _ gross.”

“How about we order before we throw insults?” Wonshik suggests, tossing each of them a menu. “I want something spicy. Some soup sounds pretty good, too, actually.”

“Oh! This one looks yummy,” Hongbin says, pointing to a photo of a boiling hot pot. "Tub broth? Serenading bean stoves?“

"Tofu broth with seasoned bean sprouts,” Taekwoon corrects gently. “Where’s the meat section?” he asks, flipping through the pages.

“At the end,” Jaehwan responds. He and Taekwoon meet each other’s eyes, but they’re quick to look away.

Sanghyuk catches the movement but says nothing, choosing instead to sip delicately at his water. “So,” he begins, clearing his throat. “How’s everyone been? Anything exciting in the lives of you gods?”

“I was living with a family of garden snakes for a while,” Taekwoon says offhandedly.

Cue collective and monotonous, “Oh.” Thankfully the waitress still knows that they’re here, saving them the potentially awkward moment. Hongbin mispronounces a few things (well, he  _ is _ the god of mispronounced names), but other than that, they order without any problems.

“So!” Sanghyuk tries again. “Besides Taekwoon, how’s everyone else been?”

“I’ve caused Sony to manufacture another brand of headphones,” Jaehwan proclaims triumphantly. “There are too many people complaining about the shock they get in their ears. Go figure.”

Hongbin scoffs, “Isn’t it cheating if you’re only focusing on one company? Compared to the entire human pollution?”

“Population,” Jaehwan corrects swiftly. He crosses his arms over his chest, pursing his lips. “And no, as long as I’m doing what I’m supposed to, nothing should be considered cheating.”

“What if Chansik only grew flowers in China?” Hakyeon says, raising an eyebrow. “Surely someone would find that suspicious.”

“That’s  _ different _ , of course. People enjoy flowers! They want them blooming in their gardens!” Jaehwan huffs. “I can sincerely assure you that not a soul on earth want the static in their earbuds.”

“You are abusing your power,” Taekwoon mutters.

Jaehwan rolls his eyes, flippant. “I can hardly say this is even  _ having _ power.”

“Don’t start this again,” groans Wonshik, rubbing his face with his hands. “I should’ve known this would happen.”

Hakyeon attempts to take on the role of the mediator. “Come on, you guys. What’s the point in fighting? All of us are gods, no matter how small. Taekwoon, Jaehwan – Both of you have had your doubts, I understand. All of us understand. But as gods, we have each other. We have our people. And, look, the food’s almost here. Hold off your bickering.”

Taekwoon and Jaehwan share a reluctant look of truce. “Sorry,” Jaehwan says firstly. “To all of you, and Taekwoon. I’m acting petty, so I apologize for that.” He pauses, waiting for Taekwoon to duplicate the sentiment. “Well?”

“I agree that you are wrong in your doings,” Taekwoon declares softly. And silence.

Jaehwan shakes his head in disbelief. “Yeah, that’s not that surprising,” he says, a tad exasperated. “Do you see our food coming?” he asks to no one in particular.

“Yup! Over there! Sizzling beef, ahoy!” Hongbin crows. The server comes their way, holding a tray of food in her hands, the steam visible from across the restaurant. All of them are on the edge of their seats in anticipation, almost drooling like starved animals. The server is right there, right in front of them–

Except she passes them completely. Spins right around. With their food. Out of sight.

“This is tragic,” Hongbin sighs.

“My… My pork intestines,” whimpers Sanghyuk.

“We have to make some more noise again, no big deal.” Hakyeon smiles optimistically at the other gods. “Sanghyuk?”

“I got this, hold on–” Out comes the megaphone, a slight crackle of static as it powers on, and then, “ _ YES, HELLO. I AM SANGHYUK, GOD OF BURNT FOOD. I AM HERE WITH SEVERAL OF MY COMPANIONS, INCLUDING MY BEST FRIEND HONGBIN, THE GOD OF MISPRONOUNCED NAMES. HE MAY NOT LOOK IT, BUT HE’S A REAL SWEETHEART– _ ”

Hongbin shrieks, “What is going on?”

“The real question is, why the hell is no one noticing us?” murmurs Taekwoon.

“I want my food,” Jaehwan complains. He and Taekwoon share another look, only this time it’s a look filled with shared sentiments of irritation. That, and a little bit of resentment towards Sanghyuk – who is still barking total god nonsense into that megaphone.

“ _ AND THERE’S THIS LITTLE SHIT NAMED SUNGJAE, WHO IS ALSO MY BEST FRIEND. HE IS LITERALLY AN ANGEL AND NEVER STOPS TALKING ABOUT IT, I MEAN. THEY GET FREE SANDWICHES EVERY SUNDAY. WHAT DO I GET? SALAD. AND IT’S NOT EVEN FREE– _ ”

The server finally comes by their table, the veins in her forehead practically pulsing. “Sir, you are disrupting the rest of the customers,” she declares, extremely passive-aggressive. “I have to ask you to put that away.”

Jaehwan perks up as Sanghyuk silences his megaphone. “Give us our food,” Hongbin all but demands, “platoons.”

“He means 'please’,” Hakyeon says. The waitress attempts to hide a snort as she leaves the table.

Hongbin ducks his head sheepishly. “Thanks,” he says to Hakyeon, and then looks around the booth. “I’ve missed this. Hanging out.”

“All of us do,” Wonshik hums. He spots something in the distance, and an imaginary light bulb goes off in his head. “Hey, who thinks I can scramble the lighting on that TV all the way over there?”

“What’s the wager?” Taekwoon asks, squinting. “What happens if you can’t?”

“Um… I’ll pay for–”

Unanimously: “Deal.”


	21. let the darkness descend (hongbin/ken)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this, hongbin knows, will be a night to remember.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> posted: 04/08/2015

It’s eight p.m., and Hongbin wants to go home. Wonshik had dragged him along to this Friday night party with the promise of a good time and booze, but it’s hardly anything exciting for Hongbin. Everything is subpar, including the alcoholic beverages, which are in the form of various juices. Hard cider isn’t his first choice of drink, but he’ll take what he can get.

After Wonshik abandons him for a cherry-flavored lip balm wearing dancer, marks blooming on his neck, Hongbin finds refuge in the backyard. He leans against the side of the house, the pounding bass of tacky pop music on his back. There are some people out here, but most of them are high off recreational drugs and pretty toned down. Hongbin absently observes them rolling about, sipping at his drink every now and then.

A tall figure approaches and stops next to Hongbin, his side supported by the wall, a cup in his hand. “You look like you want to dig yourself into a ditch, handsome,” he says.

Hongbin offers a reserved smile. “Is it that obvious?”

“Of course,” the stranger proclaims with a laugh. “Anyone can fall for a jaw line like that. And that body? You seriously look like you belong on the cover of Vogue or CéCi Korea.”

“I was talking about the ditch thing,” Hongbin says, grinning, “but thanks for the self-esteem boost. Much appreciated.”

The stranger lifts his drink to Hongbin, a  _ cheers _ of sorts. “My pleasure. Compliments are my specialty.” He glances back, humming. “So are you avoiding the party? All lonesome out here?”

Shrugging, Hongbin begins to explain, “The friend who brought me here kind of left me for a dance major. He’s probably making out with him in some cramped closet right now.” He sighs. “That bastard likes those kinds of things.”

Taking a swig of his drink, the stranger gives Hongbin a bemused smirk. “But isn’t that romantic? Meeting someone unknown and having a single night of passion together? The warmth of mystery in the form of a human being?”

Hongbin eyes the stranger warily, frowning. “Are you trying to suggest…?”

Smiling widely, the stranger shakes his head. “My name is Lee Jaehwan, twenty-three years old, majoring in music composition,” he states. “There. Now, I am no longer a stranger to you.” He tilts his head to the side. “This is the part where you introduce yourself, too, you know.”

“Lee Hongbin. Twenty-two.” The next part comes out softer, almost a shy whisper. “Photography.”

Jaehwan beams, “We’re both artists! How about that?” He looks behind him once more, quickly turning his head back and leaning close to Hongbin’s face. “Hey, do you want to get out of here?”

“What?” sputters Hongin, “Seriously?”

“Why not?” Jaehwan’s expression morphs into one of excitement. “I don’t think either of us wants to stay here any longer than we have to. Might as well bail the main event and find something else to occupy the time. An adventure, perhaps?”

Hongbin is hardly convinced. “That doesn’t sound like a good idea,” he says frankly.

Jaehwan raises an eyebrow. “I’m drinking hard lemonade from a red Solo cup. It doesn’t get much more downhill from here.”

Against his better judgment, Hongbin finds himself laughing loudly, hiding his face behind his cup. “Well, you’re not wrong there,” he chuckles. “Maybe… I could come along.”

“Come along?” Jaehwan repeats, confused.

“You know.” Hongbin pushes off the wall, looking up at the night sky. “On your adventure.”

Jaehwan hums, pensive, “Ah, for now, let’s call it that.”

–

Leaving the party is easy. Trying to find their own, outside, is a shade tougher. The streets of the city are bustling with life at the start of the weekend, stores with their doors wide open and people rushing to-and-fro. Hongbin follows Jaehwan’s lead, almost like a young duckling that naively trails after its mother.

Fifteen minutes pass, and Jaehwan shows no sign of stopping. Hongbin is starting to get apprehensive. “Do you know where you’re going?” he asks. “Any idea? Or are we going to keep walking until the road ends?”

Jaehwan spins around, giggling, “That was the plan.”

“Are you kidding–”

“Yes, I am. Calm down, handsome.” Jaehwan smiles and points ahead. “We’re a few steps from being there.”

Hongbin huffs, “What exactly is  _ there _ ?”

“ _ There _ is the first part of the adventure,” Jaehwan declares. “Warm lights, kind faces, treats fit for royalty. Truly a place worthy of–”

“A food cart?”

Jaehwan snaps his fingers. “Bingo.”

It’s a single street food stall, a young worker taking care of the food. A few tables and plastic chairs surround the area, a few individuals casually eating in the quiet. Jaehwan tells Hongbin to take a seat and wait as he goes to place an order. Hongbin is obedient, if anything else begrudging. It takes only a minute for Jaehwan to come back, a dish of food in each of his hands and two pairs of wooden chopsticks in his mouth.

Jaehwan sets everything down and pulls up a chair. “Rice cakes and fried tofu, cheap and delicious,” he announces proudly. “Don’t worry – I already gave my compliments to the chef.”

“Thanks,” Hongbin says, breaking apart a pair of chopsticks, “but I’ll be the one to judge whether it’s delicious or not.”

“Ah, where is the trust?”

“Need I remind you that we just met?”

Jaehwan laughs, “I get it, I get it.” He takes a hearty bite out of a rice cake, grinning. “Eat, then. We’re here to fuel up!”

“What are we – cars?” Hongbin scoffs. Jaehwan pouts childishly, and Hongbin is slightly taken aback. “I’ll eat,” he says, picking up a piece of tofu. He pops it into his mouth and scrunches his nose at the extreme saltiness, harsh on his palette. “It’s good,” he coughs.

“Liar,” accuses Jaehwan, pointing at him with his chopsticks. “Don’t lie to me, handsome. You’re too good for that.”

“I have a name, you know.”

“Don’t lie to me, Lee Hongbin. You’re too good for that.” Jaehwan bats his eyelashes, humming. “Consider this: No lying. No lies of any kind, not for the entire night. How does that sound?”

“As long as we don’t put each other in awkward positions,” Hongbin says, chewing thoughtfully on a rice cake, “like wheedling unnecessary information from one another.”

“So I can’t ask about your most loved family pet?”

Hongbin purses his lips. “Her name was Kana, and she was a golden retriever…”

–

There are dandelions dotting the ground that surrounds the pond, trees and weeds farther out. Hongbin is careful where he walks, stepping into bare spots in the grass, whereas Jaehwan stalks ahead with confidence and curiosity.

“If I fall in,” Hongbin starts unsurely, “tell Wonshik that he needs to use protection.”

Jaehwan turns around and winks. “I’m always an advocate of safe sex,” he declares. “Is Wonshik that friend you were talking about earlier? The one who ditched you for a one night stand?”

Hongbin scratches his chin. “Yeah, well… I’m sort of doing the same thing, aren’t I?”

“Oh!” Jaehwan exclaims. “I suppose so!”

“Don’t sound so enthralled about it. We’re only hanging out, Jaehwan,” Hongbin says.

“Correction – having an adventure.”

Hongbin rolls his eyes. “ _ You _ are.”

“Yeah, yeah. Help me up this tree, will you?”

Sighing, Hongbin holds his hands together and propels Jaehwan up the tall oak tree, onto a sturdy branch with barely any leaves. A moment later, Jaehwan extends his arm out to Hongbin and pulls him up next to him. After they get comfortable, Hongbin struggling to achieve balance and Jaehwan laughing at his attempts, they sit with their backs against the trunk of the tree and their legs dangling in the air.

“It’s windy,” Hongbin comments offhandedly.

Jaehwan gestures above them. “Look up.”

With slight trepidation, Hongbin’s gaze travels to the sky, and he sees the dark clouds traveling quickly and steadily on the dark backdrop of the atmosphere. The moon is full, bright, and clearer than Hongbin has ever seen before.

“Beautiful,” he mumbles, in awe.

Jaehwan chuckles lowly, “That’s not what I really want you to see.” He points down, to the pond, and Hongbin’s gaze follows his finger.

The reflection of the night is much more enticing when it’s on top of water, periodically disrupted by tiny ripples from the wildlife underwater. Every so often a fish swims to the top, its shadow coloring the monochrome pond.

“I wish I had my camera,” whispers Hongbin.

“It wouldn’t be the same,” Jaehwan says. “The lighting would be off, right?”

Hongbin leans forward, drumming his fingers on the tree. “I know that,” he mutters. “I want to preserve this memory somehow.”

Jaehwan is silent. He taps Hongbin’s head, just above the temple. “Remember me,” he proclaims, “so you’ll remember this, too.”

“Cheesy.”

–

Standing outside a convenience store at three in the morning is, honestly, very nostalgic for Hongbin. It reminds him of early high school evenings – when he didn’t want to do his homework, when his parents weren’t home to feed him, when he had no place to go.  _ Nostalgia _ .

“Turn that frown upside-down, Lee Hongbin,” Jaehwan says as he exits the store, carrying two plastic bags. “I’m back with the goodies.”

“Suspicious,” Hongbin accuses playfully. He tries to peer inside, but Jaehwan holds them back, waggling his finger. “Even more suspicious now, actually. Would you tell me what you bought if I asked?”

Jaehwan just grins, skipping and whistling away. “You’ll find out soon enough!” he exclaims, laughing. “I promise it’s nothing too scary.”

Hongbin follows after him, hands in the pockets of his jeans, scuffing his shoes as he walks. It feels like he’s been behind Jaehwan this entire time, and it irks Hongbin so much that he jogs up to walk beside Jaehwan. When the elder gives him an amused look, Hongbin nudges him with his shoulder.

“What?” Hongbin asks, blinking. “What’s with that face, hm?”

“Nothing. Nothing at all.” Jaehwan laughs. “We’re going to be walking for a while, handsome. You need to keep up with me.”

Hongbin grins. “Hey, what do you take me for? My legs are long and strong, able to–”

Jaehwan takes off running, cutting off Hongbin’s self appraisal and leaving him behind in the dust. “Prove it!” he yells, getting farther and farther away from the stunned Hongbin. “Catch me if you can!”

And maybe it’s because being with Jaehwan brings out the innocence in him, maybe it’s because he’s childish enough to rise to the bait – Hongbin bounds to a sprint.

–

“We’re at a beach,” Hongbin blurts, standing at the sidewalk right before the sand.

“A wonderful, glorious beach!” Jaehwan adds excitedly. He shakes off his sneakers and socks, still holding the bags, and prances barefoot to the shore. The second his toes come in contact with the cold water, he squeals, “Yikes!”

“The tide is going to swallow you whole!” shouts Hongbin, removing his footwear and walking over to Jaehwan, who has moved toward the center of the beach. He trips over a rock, twice, and Jaehwan snorts. Hongbin coughs, covering up his embarrassing accident.

“So, what are we doing here?” he asks curiously. “Fishing?”

Jaehwan hums, reaching into a bag, “Well…”

Hongbin pales. “Oh my god, please don’t tell me you actually bought worms or something–”

Contrary to Hongbin’s suspicions, Jaehwan pulls out a handful of rockets of all colors, dropping them onto the sand. “Wish fireworks!” he exclaims. “Definitely better than fishing, I’ll say.”

“Huh?” Hongbin’s eyebrows knit together, displaying his confusion.

Jaehwan begins to set up the rockets, sticking them into the ground. “I came up with the ‘wish’ part,” he affirms, smug. “A special, Lee Jaehwan touch. Patent-pending.”

“How’s it work?”

Smiling, Jaehwan explains animatedly, “Every time you light a rocket, you make a wish. Any kind – the less sense they make, the better. Sort of like birthday candles, but not quite. No blowing is required – just a strong voice and some matches.”

Hongbin nods as Jaehwan speaks, but then stops to stammer, “Wait, I have to say it out loud?”

“I don’t see why not! Here, I’ll do one first…” Jaehwan strikes a match and lights a striped blue-and-red rocket. The fuse goes off, and the rocket shoots into the air. The firework bursts with a  _ bang _ , sprinkling debris and fiery light, and Jaehwan screams loudly, “I want to graduate from university!”

“That was weak,” Hongbin says jokingly.

Jaehwan juts out his lower lip and retorts challengingly, “Are you going to do better?”

Hongbin lights up another rocket, smaller and probably louder, and lets it shoot into the sky. Just before the explosion of sound rings through the air, he yells, “Let my photos be put in a famous art gallery!”

Holding one arm close, Jaehwan ignites several more rockets, and the two of them proceed to shout more absurd wishes to the sky. Every cry is accompanied by ambiguous arm movements, kicks at the sand, full laughter that reaches their eyes.

“Make me a better cook!”

“More sales in clothing shops!”

“I want new headphones!”

“Wonshik needs a steady relationship!”

“Make me fearless!”

Unintentionally, after a barrage of glimmering fireworks, Hongbin blurts, “Let me find love!” Almost instantly, his entire body recoils in embarrassment, and his cheeks flush red. Being a romantic at heart is embarrassing, and Hongbin steels himself for a brutal teasing.

Jaehwan, though, only grins at the exclamation, the warm expression calming Hongbin’s anxiety. The last firework is lit, and Jaehwan takes the wish, cupping his hands around his mouth to yell, “Let me fall in love!”

Hongbin doesn’t know if it’s the fireworks or his heart making his chest pound.

–

They’re hiding in a park. This late at night (or this early in the morning) police officers patrol the area to ward off pesky loiterers. Every time a light flashes their way, Jaehwan pulls Hongbin aside, concealing themselves behind walls or benches. Hongbin never would have imagined that he could be this reckless, but there’s always a first time for everything, and Jaehwan is persuasive.

“The sun’s coming up,” Hongbin says, while they’re lying in the grass, out of breath from a close call with an officer with frighteningly fast reflexes. “The sky is changing colors now,” he proclaims quietly.

“Slowly but surely,” Jaehwan replies, nodding. “My eyelids are growing heavy.”

“No sleeping,” Hongbin reprimands, lightly hitting Jaehwan’s side.

Jaehwan folds his arms behind his head and purses his lips. “I’ll just rest my eyes, then.”

Scoffing, Hongbin shakes his head in disbelief. “Somebody’s adventured himself out,” he mumbles. Jaehwan is quiet, so Hongbin nudges him and asks, “You said you’re a music composition major, right?”

“Top of my class, almost,” Jaehwan says haughtily.

Hongbin smiles. “Can you sing?”

Immediately, Jaehwan bolts upright, dramatically holding his hand over his heart. “Can I sing?” he repeats, incredulous. “My dear Hongbin, my voice is a– no,  _ I _ am a gift from the heavens.”

“Sing for me,” says Hongbin, smiling, “please.”

Jaehwan opens his mouth the same time a flashlight shines in their direction, an angry yell following soon after. The two of them scramble to escape, running like criminals, Jaehwan singing out of tune at the top of his lungs. Somewhere along the way, their hands slip into one another’s, and neither of them let go.

–

“This feels like a date,” Hongbin laughs. “You’re walking me home.”

“You live closer than I do. It makes sense.” Jaehwan gives Hongbin a bashful glance, shoulders hunched. “Plus, I’m a proper gentleman.”

As they climb up the stairs to the apartment, Hongbin feels each step get heavier and heavier, like there are weights appearing at the bottom of his shoes. Jaehwan’s tread seems to falter, but Hongbin supposes he imagines it. Once the two of them reach Hongbin’s doorstep, they stand together awkwardly, despite their night of comfortableness.

“So, this is it,” Hongbin says, pushing half his fingers into his pockets.

“Yeah, this is the end,” Jaehwan responds nonchalantly.

“I had a lot of fun.” Hongbin coughs into his elbow to cover up his blush. “I mean – our adventure was really nice.”

Jaehwan smiles, but it burns bittersweet. “Looks like we’ll never meet again,” he chuckles, “my one night stand.”

Hongbin scratches behind his ear, unable to meet Jaehwan’s gaze. “I guess you’re right.”

“I suppose I should bid you farewell.” Imitating the actions of a prince, Jaehwan takes Hongbin’s hand and bestows a gentle kiss on his skin. “Goodbye, Lee Hongbin.”

As swiftly as he entered, Jaehwan goes without delay, descending the stairs and leaving Hongbin alone. Hongbin doesn’t like it – being alone. He likes when he’s with Jaehwan, even if they’re just past being strangers. He likes the adventure, the excitement, the calm, the quiet. He likes everything. Hell, he could even get used to the taste of that tofu Jaehwan fed him, right before they promised–

Hongbin flies down the stairs, three steps at a time, his hands on the railing for loose support. He gets out of the building just in time to stop Jaehwan from hailing a taxi, gripping onto the sleeve of his shirt.

“Hey, you,” pants Hongbin, taking a moment to catch his breath. “You… You’re lying.”

Jaehwan looks at him in confusion, slowly shaking his head. “No, I’m not,” he claims. “We made a deal, no lying–”

“–for the entire night. I know, I remember.” Hongbin straightens up and rests a hand on his hip, standing strong. “But right now, it’s five o’ clock in the  _ morning _ ,” he declares sternly. “Lee Jaehwan, don’t lie to me.”

It takes a few seconds, but the corners of Jaehwan’s mouth begin to curl, and he soon lets out a relieved laugh. “Sorry,” he apologizes with a delighted grin. “If I’m being completely honest, I think I’ve grown attracted to you, handsome.”

“I’d be worried if you hadn’t,” Hongbin retorts, “because I’m exactly the same.”


End file.
